Mostar Stalemate Unacceptable - Office of the High Representative

“It is clear that local authorities in Mostar have not assumed their political responsibilities,” the High Representative, Christian Schwarz-Schilling said today. “Mostar”s unification process is being held hostage by political parties and individual politicians more interested in advancing their campaign ambitions than the interests of the City,” he added. “This can not be tolerated”.

In response to the current stalemate in Mostar the High Representative has called an emergency meeting with the presidents of the local boards of the parties represented in the City Council, and the City Council caucus presidents, the Mayor and the Council President on 25 May in Sarajevo . The High Representative said he would “demand substantial results” from the relevant authorities in the coming weeks.

Mostar is the only major municipality in BiH that has not adopted it’s 2006 budget. At the same time, the systemization of the City Administration is still far from complete; this is holding up civil service appointments. In addition, the redundancy program has not been adopted, creating unnecessary costs to the taxpayer. The single urban planning institution has still not been formed. The status of HTV has not been resolved, nor have the authorities demonstrated that they have a clear vision with regard to the city’s cultural institutions. There is apparently still no solution to the garbage piling up in the streets.

“The local authorities must assume responsibility for the completion of the unification process,” the High Representative said. “Their failure to do so has created this untenable situation and it is the citizens of Mostar who have to suffer the consequences.”

The aim of the meeting on 25 May will be to find solutions to the most crucial issues facing Mostar. The High Representative will urge the political parties to present constructive proposals and to seek solutions to the city’s problems before the middle of June, before he is due to report on the current situation in Mostar to the Peace Implementation Council.