OHR Press Releases

Last night, Senior Deputy High Representative Martin Ney held a reception for representatives of civil society in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The weekend's statement by Serbia and Montenegro Foreign Minister Vuk Draskovic, suggesting a linkage between a settlement of the status of Kosovo and Bosnia and Herzegovina are damaging, destabilising and completely unacceptable.

The illegal continuation of payments to Dr. Dragan Covic, following his removal from his position in the Presidency on 29 March 2005, is a direct and flagrant contravention the High Representatives removal decision.

OHR and OSCE Mission note with disappointment and concern that Central Bosnia Canton Education Minister Nikola Lovrinovic persists in misinterpreting the Laws on Amendment of the Laws on Primary Education and Secondary Education. He made this obvious by the “standpoint” on these laws he presented to the Cantonal Assembly today. OHR had provided M [...]

The High Representative is in Brussels today where this evening he will meet with the European Unions High Representative, Javier Solana and the Commissioner for Enlargement, Olli Rehn. The High Representative will attend these meetings together with BiH Prime Minister Adnan Terzic.

The High Representative, Paddy Ashdown, would like to commend the Mostar City councilors for adopting the 2005 city budget.

The High Representative, Paddy Ashdown, today issued a Decision lifting the prohibition banning two individuals from participation in BiH political life. The prohibition has been lifted in the case of Nikola Grabovac, who was removed by the High Representative on 14 June 2002from his position as Federation Minister of Finance because he was under [...]

At the request of BiH Prime Minister Adnan Terzic the High Representative, Paddy Ashdown, today appointed Sredoje Novic to the position of the Director of the State Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA). The High Representative took this Decision following seven months of uncertainty over this appointment.

The High Representative, Paddy Ashdown, has welcomed Ambassador Dr. Martin Ney, who today took up his post as Senior Deputy High Representative. Ambassador Ney’s portfolio as SDHR will include Defence and Intelligence reform, efforts to strengthen BiH’s institutions and reform the public administration, media reform and the establishment of a Publi [...]

The BiH Election Law stipulates a fixed period of four years between General Elections. The object of this provision is to ensure stability. Amending the Election Law to allow new elections would produce multiple elections and revolving-door administrations - with subsequent long term and destabilising consequences.