OHR

OHR Calls On BiH Ministry of Finance To Review Delegates Salary
Law

Last week we welcomed the public debate that had been sparked by the Draft
Law on Rights and Obligations of the Delegates of the BiH Parliamentary
Assembly, currently in Committee the BiH Parliament, and due to be considered in
last quarter of the month.

Today the OHR calls on the BiH Ministry of Finance to review the proposed
draft to determine the financial implications were this law to be adopted.

No one questions the necessity of regulating the rights and duties of
parliamentarians in a more systematic and transparent manner, but there is
concern that this Law, if passed, would have a significant negative impact on
the BiH Budget and impose an unfair burden on the tax payer.

The proposed Draft Law sets out a wide range of financial benefits and
privileges to be enjoyed by the parliamentarians during and beyond their mandate
but barely mentions Delegates’ obligations.

There are several concerning elements in the draft
legislation, for example, although the Law would be applicable from

1 October 2006, pensions
rights would be retroactively applied to all parliamentarians who have had
mandate in Parliamentary Assembly since 1996.

Furthermore this Law:

• Would set a precedent for other government institutions
  and could lead to an across the board increase for all civil servants that the
  state cannot afford.
  
• Would put parliamentarians and their families in a
  privileged position when compared to other pensioners, without actually
  bringing in any new funds to the pension funds.
  
• Would undermine the preparations being made for the introduction of the
  State Salary Law, aimed at harmonising State salaries with those in the
  Entities and the Brcko District.

High Representative Has Confidence in ITA Governing
Board

There have been a number of comments from politicians in the RS regarding the
High Representative’s reappointment of Joly Dixon as chairman of the Board of
Governors of the ITA.

It has been suggested that in extending Mr Dixon’s mandate for three months
the High Representative was exceeding his authority. This is not the case. The
High Representative acted after consulting all the relevant parties. He
exercised the authority invested in his Office by the Dayton Agreement and the
Peace Implementation Council. This isn’t a fine point of law or a matter of
interpretation. The High Representative has the authority to reappoint Mr Dixon
and he has used his authority to do so.

He has done this for very clear reasons – to maintain continuity in the
direction of the ITA. This continuity has been an indispensable element in the
successful introduction of VAT in BiH, and it remains indispensable in the first
months of operation.

The ITA Governing Board is charged with providing impartial supervision of a
system that affects the material wellbeing of every man, woman and child in BiH.
By its very nature it must resist the partisan pressures of day-to-day political
interest.

The Governing Board is the forum for discussion of revenue allocation. That’s
what it is for. The Finance Ministers all have a seat on the board. The High
Representative has confidence that the mechanisms exist to ensure that VAT
revenue – which now ensures that the authorities in BiH have the necessary funds
to provide better services to citizens – is allocated equitably.

OSCE

Ambassador Douglas Davidson on a Two-Day Visit to
Banja Luka

Ambassador Douglas Davidson, Head of the OSCE Mission to
Bosnia
and Herzegovina, is currently on an official
two-day visit to Banja Luka.
Yesterday Ambassador Davidson met with Dragan Cavic, President of Republic of
Srpska, Milorad Dodik, Prime Minister, Igor Radojicic, RS National Assembly
Speaker and Bishop Komarica. He also visited the Catholic School Centre in
Banja
Luka.

Today Ambassador Davidson is meeting Anton Kasipovic, RS Minister of
Education, Omer Brankovic, Minister of Refugees and Displaced Persons, and Omer
Visic, Minister of Justice.

Ambassador Davidson will participate in a discussion on regional refugee
returns with representatives of more than 15 non-governmental organizations from
the
Republic of

Srpska
. The event is hosted by the
NGO, the Nansen Dialogue Centre. 

The scheduled press briefing will take place today at 12:30 at the International Press Centre in
Banja Luka .

A press release on the issue will be issued later in the day.

EUFOR

No statement.