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To: Mr. Dragan Meter, Mayor Prozor Rama
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Sarajevo, November 29, 1999
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Dear Mr. Dragan Meter,
For reasons outlined in the attached Decision, we herewith notify you of
the
following: under the powers vested in the High Representative, you are
removed from public office with immediate effect. In addition, in
accordance
with the Provisional Election Commission Rules and Regulations, this
Decision bars you from being a candidate in the upcoming municipal
elections.
It is with great regret that we are forced to acknowledge that during your
term in office not only have you failed to show any commitment to the
implementation of the General Framework Agreement for Peace, but you have
also seriously and persistently obstructed its implementation.
Sincerely,
|
Wolfgang Petritsch | Robert L. Barry |
|
High Representative | Chairman of the PEC |
| | OSCE Head of Mission |
In the exercise of the powers vested in the High Representative by
Article 5
of the Annex 10 of the General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and
Herzegovina, according to which the High Representative 'is the final
authority in the theater regarding interpretation of [the] Agreement on
the
civilian implementation of the peace agreement';
Endorsing the interpretation of these powers given in paragraph XI, 2 of
the
Conclusions of the Peace Implementation Conference held in Bonn on 10
December 1997, in particular, sub-paragraph c thereof, by means of which
the
High Representative is entitled to take actions against persons holding
public office who are found by the High Representative to be in violation
of
legal commitments made under the Peace Agreement or the terms of its
implementation;
Noting the reiteration of the acknowledgement of such powers by the Peace
Implementation Council in Chapter X of the Annex to the Madrid Declaration
of 16 December 1998;
Considering the mandate entrusted with the Provisional Election Commission
under Article III of the Annex 3 to the General Framework Agreement for
Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina and article 7.10 of the Rules and
Regulations adopted thereafter which provides that no person who has been
removed by the High Representative shall be permitted to be a candidate in
the elections.
We hereby issue the following
Decision
To remove Mr. Dragan Meter from his position as Mayor of Prozor Rama and
to
ban him from being a candidate for the next municipal elections or to hold
any executive office at any level unless authorised to do so.
This decision has immediate effect.
Reasons for removal
Mr. Dragan Meter has abused his power by persistently and seriously
obstructing implementation of the General Framework Agreement for Peace.
By
pursuing an extra-legal agenda, he has consistently refused to take
ownership of the laws of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
In particular Mr. Dragan Meter, in his capacity of Mayor of Prozor Rama,
has
obstructed the establishment of a joint municipal administration and has
systematically failed to implement agreements signed with the
International
Mediator. Mr. Dragan Meter is also responsible for the unacceptably slow
implementation record of property laws in Prozor Rama and for obstructing
minority return.
- The Mayor continues to discriminate against the five Bosniak Heads
of Department with regard to their remuneration and integration in the
work
place. The Mayor is, therefore, not fulfilling his obligations required
by
the Law on Employment and Salaries of Officers Employed in the
Administration of the Federation of BiH and the Law on Administration of
the
Federation of BiH.
- Mr. Dragan Meter has personally attempted to obstruct the education
of Bosniak children in Prozor Rama by continuously choosing to ignore a
number of requests that education facilities be provided for Bosniak
children.
- Although the Mayor has made a number of commitments to proceed with
all property claims, the number of property cases solved so far is far
from
acceptable and not a single double occupancy case involving socially owned
property has been addressed.
All of the above establishes a disturbing and unacceptable pattern of
deliberate attempts to obstruct the implementation of the General
Framework
Agreement for Peace. For these reasons, we hereby remove Mr. Dragan Meter
from the position of Mayor of Prozor Rama. The decision will be effective
immediately and will not require any further procedural steps.
The position left vacant by Mr. Dragan Meter's removal will be filled by
the
Municipal Council in accordance with the legal regulations governing this
election. In order to protect the institution to which a replacement is to
be elected, no further actions are to be taken by the relevant authorities
until OHR and OSCE communicate that there are no objections and that the
proposed name can proceed further through the legislative process.
Sarajevo, 29 November 1999
|
Wolfgang Petritsch | Robert L. Barry |
|
High Representative | Chairman of the PEC |
| | OSCE Head of Mission |
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