Lajčak warns Bosnia over police reform

Miroslav Lajcak has told Bosnian parliament and government resuming police reform is crucial for Bosnia's EU integration . “Isolation or integration, today that is your choice and your responsibility,” The top western official said Thursday in a 40-minute speech that was broadcast live on Bosnia and Herzegovina’s state television, PBS. Lajcak warns Bosnia over police reform He stressed that failure to restructure the police to give it more central direction would leave the country further behind the rest of the region that has already moved ahead of Bosnia on its way to joining the EU. “Last year was very bad. Not a single reform was undertaken,” Lajcak added and underlined that it was the Bosnian politicians’ responsibility stay away from nationalist and inflammatory rhetoric. Over the past 10 days Lajcak has presented a new proposal for police reform in bilateral meetings with key local leaders. This plan was supposed to be a basis for further negotiations, aimed at reaching a compromise before the end of the month – in time to reach this year’s last deadline for continuation of the current phase of the EU integration process. But the process hit an immediate snag after first Bosniak and then Bosnian Serb leaders bluntly rejected the proposal even before the beginning of official negotiations. “By rejecting the draft proposal on police reform before all the major political leaders have even received it, they have demonstrated a disdain for their colleagues and the political process,” Lajcak said in his statement. Stressing that the proposal was fair and balanced and in line with key EU policing principles, Lajcak blasted local politicians for acting irresponsibly. He even threatened them with sanctions, which appeared to soften their positions somewhat. First reactions to Lajcak’s speech indicated that local politicians were still unwilling to change their positions. Speaking immediately after Lajcak’s address, the two strongest politicians, Prime Minister Milorad Dodik of the Bosnian Serb entity, Republic of Srpska, RS, and the Bosniak member of Bosnia’s three-member Presidency, Haris Silajdzic, lived up to their reputations as among the loudest critics of police reform when they reiterated their opposition to the plan. The plan envisages more central control over the police at the expense of the authority of the two entities, RS and the mainly Bosniak-Croat Federation. Silajdzic insists on the abolition of the RS police, while Dodik is ready to accept any solution that would ensure its continuation. Lajcak is scheduled to hold talks in Brussels to inform EU leaders about the situation in Bosnia and plan further steps.

Lajčak warns Bosnia over police reform

He stressed that failure to restructure the police to give it more central direction would leave the country further behind the rest of the region that has already moved ahead of Bosnia on its way to joining the EU.

“Last year was very bad. Not a single reform was undertaken,” Lajčak added and underlined that it was the Bosnian politicians’ responsibility stay away from nationalist and inflammatory rhetoric.

Over the past 10 days Lajčak has presented a new proposal for police reform in bilateral meetings with key local leaders.

This plan was supposed to be a basis for further negotiations, aimed at reaching a compromise before the end of the month – in time to reach this year’s last deadline for continuation of the current phase of the EU integration process.

But the process hit an immediate snag after first Bosniak and then Bosnian Serb leaders bluntly rejected the proposal even before the beginning of official negotiations.

“By rejecting the draft proposal on police reform before all the major political leaders have even received it, they have demonstrated a disdain for their colleagues and the political process,” Lajčak said in his statement.

Stressing that the proposal was fair and balanced and in line with key EU policing principles, Lajčak blasted local politicians for acting irresponsibly. He even threatened them with sanctions, which appeared to soften their positions somewhat.

First reactions to Lajčak’s speech indicated that local politicians were still unwilling to change their positions.

Speaking immediately after Lajčak’s address, the two strongest politicians, Prime Minister Milorad Dodik of the Bosnian Serb entity, Republic of Srpska, RS, and the Bosniak member of Bosnia’s three-member Presidency, Haris Silajdžić, lived up to their reputations as among the loudest critics of police reform when they reiterated their opposition to the plan.

The plan envisages more central control over the police at the expense of the authority of the two entities, RS and the mainly Bosniak-Croat Federation.

Silajdzic insists on the abolition of the RS police, while Dodik is ready to accept any solution that would ensure its continuation.

Lajčak is scheduled to hold talks in Brussels to inform EU leaders about the situation in Bosnia and plan further steps.