Croat leader: Bosnia cannot be civil state

SARAJEVO Croatian Democratic Alliance in Bosnia (HDZ BiH) leader Dragan Covic says that Bosnia-Herzegovina "can never function as a classic civil state". According to him, the right balance must be found between national, ethnic, collective and civil - "because it won't go without that". Croat leader: Bosnia cannot be civil state "We need a Bosnia-Herzegovina organized in a modern manner. We must make an internal organization that will be much more rational. What we have now evidently cannot function in a normal manner," Covic told the Federal TV in Sarajevo. Attempts are being made, he revealed, to reach a solution through bilateral discussions held by the leaders of the country's biggest parties. Covic also believes that an agreement on a future parliamentary majority could be reached before the next session of the houses of the Bosnia-Herzegovina Parliamentary Assembly. Commenting on a suggestion for Bosnia to be demilitarized, put forward by Serb Republic (RS) President Milorad Dodik, Covic said the HDZ BiH party advocated the same idea a decade ago as "one possible solution". He also stated that he did not discuss this issue with Dodik, but that he expected it to be another point on which they would reach agreement "without any major problems": "Dodik is a reasonable person, and he is expressing his position on some difficult issues for Bosnia-Herzegovina in a more transparent manner than any of us. I would be happy if there was someone among the Bosniak (Muslim) politicians with whom I could talk the way I do with Dodik." Covic also noted that there was "an enviable level of trust" between him and the RS leader: "There are few politicians with whom I have that level of trust. I would be happy if there were more in Bosnia-Herzegovina." Asked whether his party would vote in favor of sacking the Council of Ministers members from the Party of Democratic Action (SDA), he stated that the party "should remain consistent", since they already voted in favor in the House of Representatives. Otherwise, the party would have to explain the change of position, its leader remarked. Commenting on an American initiative to amend the Constitution of the Federation (FBiH) Covic described it as "remaining on the surface, fairly loose and without content", and expressed his skepticism that the NGO sector would offer an adequate solution: "If somebody thinks they will and that it would be adopted in parliament, they are politically naive. This must be done by the leaders." The post 1992-95 war Bosnia is made up of the Serb entity (RS), and the Muslim-Croat Federation (FBiH). The latter is further subdivided into cantons, and Covic said a proposal to abolish them, which came from SDA President Sulejman Tihic, was "unacceptable". Instead, he suggested that three regions should be formed within the Federation, centered around the towns of Mostar, Sarajevo, and Tuzla. The HDZ BiH leader also spoke against early elections in the Federation, because, as he put it, "the people have said in the local elections who they wish to see in the entity government". A view of Sarajevo (sxc.hu) Tanjug

Croat leader: Bosnia cannot be civil state

"We need a Bosnia-Herzegovina organized in a modern manner. We must make an internal organization that will be much more rational. What we have now evidently cannot function in a normal manner," Čović told the Federal TV in Sarajevo.

Attempts are being made, he revealed, to reach a solution through bilateral discussions held by the leaders of the country's biggest parties.

Čović also believes that an agreement on a future parliamentary majority could be reached before the next session of the houses of the Bosnia-Herzegovina Parliamentary Assembly.

Commenting on a suggestion for Bosnia to be demilitarized, put forward by Serb Republic (RS) President Milorad Dodik, Čović said the HDZ BiH party advocated the same idea a decade ago as "one possible solution".

He also stated that he did not discuss this issue with Dodik, but that he expected it to be another point on which they would reach agreement "without any major problems":

"Dodik is a reasonable person, and he is expressing his position on some difficult issues for Bosnia-Herzegovina in a more transparent manner than any of us. I would be happy if there was someone among the Bosniak (Muslim) politicians with whom I could talk the way I do with Dodik."

Čović also noted that there was "an enviable level of trust" between him and the RS leader:

"There are few politicians with whom I have that level of trust. I would be happy if there were more in Bosnia-Herzegovina."

Asked whether his party would vote in favor of sacking the Council of Ministers members from the Party of Democratic Action (SDA), he stated that the party "should remain consistent", since they already voted in favor in the House of Representatives. Otherwise, the party would have to explain the change of position, its leader remarked.

Commenting on an American initiative to amend the Constitution of the Federation (FBiH) Čović described it as "remaining on the surface, fairly loose and without content", and expressed his skepticism that the NGO sector would offer an adequate solution:

"If somebody thinks they will and that it would be adopted in parliament, they are politically naive. This must be done by the leaders."

The post 1992-95 war Bosnia is made up of the Serb entity (RS), and the Muslim-Croat Federation (FBiH). The latter is further subdivided into cantons, and Čović said a proposal to abolish them, which came from SDA President Sulejman Tihić, was "unacceptable". Instead, he suggested that three regions should be formed within the Federation, centered around the towns of Mostar, Sarajevo, and Tuzla.

The HDZ BiH leader also spoke against early elections in the Federation, because, as he put it, "the people have said in the local elections who they wish to see in the entity government".