Čović and Izetbegović Announce Formation of Federal Government, Opinions Divided on Election Law

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - The presidents of SDA and HDZ, Bakir Izetbegović and Dragan Čović, stated today at a meeting in Sarajevo that there is progress in forming the federal government and that its formation can be expected within a month at the latest.

As stated, this includes not only resolving the issue of the FBiH Government but also other institutions in this entity.

The party presidents emphasized that concrete progress can be expected within the next month regarding the formation of the FBiH Government, as well as filling all other institutions at the federal level.

They said that three party teams will be formed, each dealing with a specific issue.

"We did not delve into the essence of the Election Law amendments. We agreed today roughly as follows: When it comes to FBiH, the formation of a new government structure, the most important laws for FBiH, earlier laws that were never implemented, where talks and topics were started but not completed, a working group will be formed and everything related to the Federation issue should be completed by the end of March," said Izetbegović.

Dragan Čović stated after the meeting that amendments to the Election Law are possible even without implementing the European Court of Human Rights ruling in the "Sejdić - Finci" case.

"It depends on the approach we take, but these are issues that will come to the agenda once we define a framework for the members of the Presidency and the House of Peoples. What is imperative for us is to make it very clear that constituent peoples can elect their constituent representatives. Whom they will elect, Sejdić, Finci, a fifth person, that is up to those peoples. We will leave that to the experts who will sit together, without any predetermined goal that something is impossible. I think it is possible and we will practically see that. This work must be completed by the end of the fourth month," said Čović.

Izetbegović had a different stance: "I don't know how Sejdić or Finci can enter the BiH Presidency without removing the prefix that the Presidency must consist of one Bosniak, one Croat, and one Serb. I don't know. But HDZ claims it has a solution for that, so if it does, we will gladly take it into consideration."