[wzslider]By Nevena Šarenac
Amendments to the FBiH Constitution will be a historical process in BiH, where citizens will show that they support reforms that would make this BiH entity more functional, democratic, efficient and accountable to citizens, announced at last night’s reception organized to mark the opening of the Conference on constitutional reform in the FBiH.
The US Ambassador to BiH Patrick Moon, Head of the EU Delegation to BiH Peter Sorensen and the Charge D’Affaires of the Embassy of Great Britain to BiH Jo Lomas lent their support to the conference.
Ambassador Moon said that they all agreed that reform is necessary in BIH, and that today’s conference will be the first comprehensive set of recommendations on ways of resolving the lack of functionality, high cost and democratic weakness of the FBiH.
He pointed to the efforts of the expert commission that would, after nearly four months of work, come to a comprehensive set of 181 recommendations that will be discussed today by some of the most eminent intellectuals and activists in the FBIH.
The American initiative for reform of the FBIH Constitution was welcomed by the Head of the EU Delegation to BiH and the Special Representative of the EU Ambassador Peter Sorensen, pointing out that the citizens of the FBIH have the full support of the EU in this important process, which would enable them to express their point of view on their own future.
“Citizens believe that a better future of the country lies in the EU. We will do everything that we can to help BiH to undertake the necessary reforms that would contribute concrete benefits to ordinary people’’, said Sorensen. He added that he believes that a conference on reform of the FBiH Constitution is starting a process that has a good chance to be successful.
Great Britain fully supports the initiative of the US for reform. The FBIH Constitution, and the Charge D’Affaires Lomas assessed that such an initiative provides an opportunity for citizens to understand the importance of change and to contribute to the overall democratic processes.
According to her, citizens of BiH will understand that they are the ones that could make a difference and insist on changes so that the country becomes more democratic and a better place for all.
Legal expert Kasim Trnka addressed officials on behalf of the expert team that prepared the 181 recommendations. He recalled that almost 20 years have passed since the signing of the Washington Agreement and the establishment of the FBiH.
“We hope that, instead of intervention of the international community, BiH citizens will take responsibility for their own future and would create a constitutional system that best suits them’’, said Trnka. He stated that the US initiative begins with the FBIH.
Trnka hopes that the same principles would lead to an end of reform of the Constitution and the Constitutional system in BIH.
He said that the proposed recommendations of the expert team formed after consultations with representatives of civil society and governmental institutions at all levels and all parts of the FBIH.
Last night’s reception at hotel “Sarajevo” was attended by a numerous public people from the political and public life in BiH, and representatives of the diplomatic corps in BiH.
