Lajčak: Koštunica's comments misleading

The war of words between Miroslav Lajcak and Vojislav Kostunica continues unabated. The high international representative to Bosnia has today accused the Serbian prime minister of deceiving the public. Lajcak: Kostunica's comments misleading Lajcak said that he would not give in to blackmail in the form of Bosnian Serb resignations. “The Bosnian government is still working in line with the Constitution. I won’t let them blackmail me. If it was true that there was a danger of them being outvoted, why didn’t the Bosnians or Croats object? Kostunica is a lawyer. He knows fine well that his accusations against me are deceptive,” he told Slovakian SME. The high representative said that the Serb side in the current debate had failed to put forward a single argument to justify its attacks, and concluded that it was strange that in a country where everyone was particularly sensitive when it came to their rights, only the Serbs had spoken up. The U.S. has called on the actors in the Bosnian crisis to refrain for verbal attacks on Lajcak. State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said that the U.S. supported the high representative’s mandate and activities, and considered them beneficial for all citizens of the region. “The attacks on him or the steps he’s taken simply aren’t constructive, nor of any help,” McCormack said. Meanwhile, the Bosnian Presidency in Sarajevo said today that it was necessary to hold consultations with Serb Council of Ministers representative Nikola Spiric, before considering his resignation tendered yesterday. After an emergency session of state leaders, Presidency Chairman Zeljko Komsic said that prior to addressing his resignation, it was necessary to speak to Spiric, so that everything could be carried out within a Constitutional and legal framework. Komsic said that consultations would take place soon, though he did not specify exactly when, as Spiric had left late yesterday evening for Banja Luka. Under the law, the Republic of Srpska representative’s resignation automically signals the fall of the government. He submitted his resignation following the recent changes to the decision-making process sanctioned by the high representative. The Bosnian media is eagerly waiting for Spiric to outline his motives for resigning, as these will, to a great extent, affect future political developments in the country. Members of the Presidency can either accept his resignation and request consultations on a replacement, reject his resignation outright, or even reinstate him. At the present moment in time, no-one wants to consider the possibility of holding early elections. In Belgrade meanwhile, daily Politika’s Editor-in-Chief Ljiljana Smajlovic says that, to the paper’s knowledge, a speedy resolution to the crisis is possible. Smajlovic told B92 that next Monday, at a meeting of RS legal experts and Lajcak’s representatives, a creative legal solution could be found. Under the terms of that solution, the high representative’s measures would remain in force, but without the possibility of one side being outvoted on a national basis, she said. Miroslav Lajcak has given B92 a half-hour interview, to be broadcast on our television this evening at 7 p.m. CET. The English transcript of the interview will be available on the website shortly afterwards. Miroslav Lajcak (FoNet, archive)

Lajčak: Koštunica's comments misleading

Lajčak said that he would not give in to blackmail in the form of Bosnian Serb resignations.

“The Bosnian government is still working in line with the Constitution. I won’t let them blackmail me. If it was true that there was a danger of them being outvoted, why didn’t the Bosnians or Croats object? Koštunica is a lawyer. He knows fine well that his accusations against me are deceptive,” he told Slovakian SME.

The high representative said that the Serb side in the current debate had failed to put forward a single argument to justify its attacks, and concluded that it was strange that in a country where everyone was particularly sensitive when it came to their rights, only the Serbs had spoken up.

The U.S. has called on the actors in the Bosnian crisis to refrain for verbal attacks on Lajčak. State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said that the U.S. supported the high representative’s mandate and activities, and considered them beneficial for all citizens of the region.

“The attacks on him or the steps he’s taken simply aren’t constructive, nor of any help,” McCormack said.

Meanwhile, the Bosnian Presidency in Sarajevo said today that it was necessary to hold consultations with Serb Council of Ministers representative Nikola Špirić, before considering his resignation tendered yesterday.

After an emergency session of state leaders, Presidency Chairman Željko Komšić said that prior to addressing his resignation, it was necessary to speak to Špirić, so that everything could be carried out within a Constitutional and legal framework.

Komšić said that consultations would take place soon, though he did not specify exactly when, as Špirić had left late yesterday evening for Banja Luka.

Under the law, the Republic of Srpska representative’s resignation automically signals the fall of the government. He submitted his resignation following the recent changes to the decision-making process sanctioned by the high representative.

The Bosnian media is eagerly waiting for Špirić to outline his motives for resigning, as these will, to a great extent, affect future political developments in the country.

Members of the Presidency can either accept his resignation and request consultations on a replacement, reject his resignation outright, or even reinstate him. At the present moment in time, no-one wants to consider the possibility of holding early elections.

In Belgrade meanwhile, daily Politika’s Editor-in-Chief Ljiljana Smajlović says that, to the paper’s knowledge, a speedy resolution to the crisis is possible.

Smajlović told B92 that next Monday, at a meeting of RS legal experts and Lajčak’s representatives, a creative legal solution could be found.

Under the terms of that solution, the high representative’s measures would remain in force, but without the possibility of one side being outvoted on a national basis, she said.

Miroslav Lajčak has given B92 a half-hour interview, to be broadcast on our television this evening at 7 p.m. CET. The English transcript of the interview will be available on the website shortly afterwards.