By: Nevena Šarenac
The European Commissioner for Enlargement Stefan Fule announced today in Sarajevo that the next elections in BiH would not be recognized as long as the ruling at the European Court for Human Rights in the “Sejdić – Finci” case is not implemented.
“I have been to BiH many times in order to state how important it is to implement the ruling in the “Sejdić – Finci” case’’, said Fule to journalists before the meeting with leaders of the ruling political parties in BiH that is being held today in the building of the EU Delegation to BiH.
He said that implementation of the ruling is of vital importance for the EU.
“We think that everyone has a right to stand for election, and that is also stated in the Stabilization and Association Agreement that BiH signed. BiH’s path to the EU will be frozen if the “Sejdić – Finci” ruling is not implemented. BiH political leadership did not understand the EU as a priority and I am very disappointed by this”, said Fule.
During today’s visit to Sarajevo, Fule will hold a series of consultations together with experts from the Council of Europe and the Venice Commission whose goal is to find the best ways to resolve the “Sejdić – Finci” ruling.
The European Commissioner met this morning with members of the BiH Presidency Bakir Izetbegović and Željko Komšić, and during the meeting they spoke of the implementation of the ruling at the European Court of Human Rights in the “Sejdić- Finci” case.
The Head of the EU Delegation to BiH and the Special Representative Peter Sorensen, Deputy Head of the EU Delegation to BiH Renzo Daviddi and the General Director of the General Directorate for Enlargement Stefano Sannnino accompanied Stefan Fule.
This morning’s meeting in the building of the BiH Presidency in Sarajevo was not attended by Chairman of the BiH Presidency Nebojša Radmanović, who is currently in New York where he participated in a debate at the UN General Assembly yesterday regarding the work of international courts.
Afterwards, Commissioner Fule went to the EU Delegation building to BiH, where he is holding meeting with leaders of the following political parties: Fahrudin Radončić of SBB, Zlatko Lagumdžija of SDP and Dragan Čović of HDZ BiH, Božo Ljubić of HDZ 1990 and Mladen Bosić of SDS. He will also hold meetings with the Prime Minister of the RS Željka Cvijanović and Vice-President of SDA Šefik Džaferović,
Stefan Fule will hold a meeting today with Chairman of the BiH Council of Ministers Vjekoslav Bevanda.
Commissioner Fule will hold meetings today with leaders of political parties and BiH institutions in Sarajevo instead of holding a high level meeting in Mostar.
The dialogue was cancelled because no progress has been made in the implementation of “Sejdić-Finci”.
