OHR Transfers Competencies to the Domestic Authorities

The mayors of Zepce and Gornji Vakuf-Uskoplje municipalities were informed yesterday of the High Representative’s Decision bringing an end the International Community supervisory regimes in their municipalities.

The High Representative noted that OHR has endeavoured over the past several years to facilitate the integration and smooth functioning of these once-divided municipalities. The supervisory regimes put in place in 2000 for Zepce and 2001 for Gornji Vakuf-Uskoplje have helped both municipalities to make substantial progress in representing all citizens and providing them with better governance. With this, the time has come to transfer both real and titular responsibility for good governance in both towns to the local authorities.

“I believe the time has come to terminate the special regimes. Zepce and Gornji Vakuf-Uskoplje have undoubtedly attained a level of integration sufficient to make continuing supervision by OHR unnecessary,” the High Representative said.

Informing the HDZ and SDA presidents, Barisa Colak and Sulejman Tihic, as well as respective local officials about his decision the High Representative emphasised that the parties can contribute to the long-term common good by encouraging local authorities in both municipalities to bring their town statutes into line with FBiH legislation.

“The overall objective has been to reunite divided municipalities, dismantling parallel administrative structures and integrating all public utilities and other service companies in each municipality. Over the past three years, this objective has been very largely achieved,” the High Representative said, adding that with this Decision OHR has extracted itself from the role of intervening in and resolving disputes in the municipalities.