After a difficult period of stagnation, the outcome of the elections on 3 October offers hope and new options for Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is now up to the elected politicians to lead the country back on the reform track, declares High Representative Valentin Inzko in his report to the United Nations that was published today.
HR Inzko travels to the USA on Monday to meet with high-ranking US officials in Washington and present his report to the UN Security Council in New York on Thursday. HR Inzko’s trip to the US comes shortly after Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton’s and EU President Herman van Rompuy’s visit to BiH; all these visits are indications that the country is back high on the international agenda.
The HR’s report covers the period from 1 May to 22 October 2010 and commends the success of the BiH authorities in addressing the conditions for visa liberalization with the European Union. It also covers the recently held elections which international election observers assessed as generally free and fair, although claims of fraud are being investigated.
“The recent elections provide new opportunities for forward-looking politicians willing to work together and focus on reconciliation and progress,” HR Inzko said. “There is a great deal of work to do; governments must be put in place as soon as possible with a programme that will get the country back on track for Euro-Atlantic integration and address the country’s difficult economic challenges.”
During his trip, the HR will also discuss problems facing Bosnia and Herzegovina, including the marked increase in rhetoric disputing the sovereignty and constitutional order of BiH and legal and political moves challenging state-level institutions, competencies and laws.