The High Representative, Paddy Ashdown, has written to West Herzegovina Canton Prime MinisterViktor Lasić, CentralBosnia Canton Finance Minister Josip Kvasina, and Canton 10 Prime Minister Stipe Pelivan, to outline how the reallocation of the funds resulting from the deduction of budgetary funding intended for the HDZ in their respective Cantons will be made.
A total of 140,000 KM has been deducted in fines from the HDZ in these Cantons;
· 100,035 KM, or 65% of the public funds allocated to the HDZ in Canton 6
· 29,565 KM, or 20% of the public funds allocated to the HDZ in Canton 8
· 10,400 KM or 20% of the public funds allocated to the HDZ in Canton 10
The High Representative underlines in his letters that the accumulated balance of money from the HDZ’s fines should be used to advance European education standards in the respective Cantons. The High Representative has instructed the Cantonal Governments to establish temporary Commissions under the chairmanship of the Cantonal Education Ministers, and composed of civil servants and prominent educators. These Commissions will solicit bids for the funding of special projects or exceptional purchases by schools, educational charities or other institutions working with or on behalf of schoolchildren in the Canton.
“After receiving and evaluating applications, the Commission would decide which should receive awards, as well as their value. It would be up to the commission to determine its own procedures and criteria for making grants, but I would want both OHR and OSCE to oversee the selection of the Commissions to ensure that they are representative of the Cantons as a whole and include individuals able to make decisions which are consistent with advancing European standards in education and which will benefit schoolchildren and educational institutions,” the High Representative writes.
The High Representative calls on school directors and other potential bidders to consider their applications for funding of Education projects that can be supported by this windfall and to prepare proposals for these Cantonal Commissions once they are formed.