The High Representative, Paddy Ashdown, today issued a Decision removing the Acting Mayor of Doboj Municipality, Mirko Stojcinovic, from his post. Mr Stojcinovic has abused his office by persistently and seriously obstructing the implementation of the General Framework Agreement for Peace and he has harmed the public interest by allowing illegal construction in his municipality.
This seriously undermines the returns process, which is so important to all the citizens of BiH – whether Serb, Croat or Bosniak. It is also a gross disservice and injustice to those BiH Serbs who have now built homes with their own money on the land that was illegally allocated.
Despite numerous OHR requests that construction on illegally allocated land on the territory of Doboj Municipality be halted, at no point did construction on this land ever cease, nor were there any serious attempts made by Mr. Stojcinovic to comply with the requests of the OHR. Moreover, Mr. Stojcinovic failed to take timely and effective measures to reverse the allocations. By failing to take such measures he violated the High Representative’s Decision banning transfers of socially owned land. This rendered subsequent construction on this land illegal.
In the area of Kotorsko, where Mr. Stojcinovic’s non-compliance with the OHR’s ban on construction of 30 August 2001 is most conspicuous, construction has continued. The pace of construction has even increased remarkably and no effective measures have been taken to enforce fully the High Representative’s Decision of 27 April 2000 banning the re-allocation of state owned property, including former socially owned property, as well as the local laws and regulations on construction. In addition to Kotorsko, OHR has identified several locations, such as Bare, Lipac, Usora and Poljice/Glavica Kosa, where the level of illegal construction has increased.