Credibility of High Representative In BH Destroyed

OHR credibility has been destroyed to such extent that there is no justification for further existence of the office in BH.

International community policy in Bosnia is in a complete mess. Passive and wrong policy of a poor high representative in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Christian Schwarz-Schilling, which he led during the past year, cost the OHR its prestige and credibility in BH. This is the very introduction of the International Crisis Group report, which is supposed to be published today, the Dnevni avaz daily writes.

Thanks to Schwarz-Schilling, OHR was quite closed

Running such a policy, it is continued, resulted in pressure on Schwarz-Schilling, who announced his retirement from this function in the middle of the year. This announcement, as the report author James Lyon told the Dnevni avaz, ICG special representative for the Balkans, did not surprise anyone.

Thanks to Schwarz-Schilling`s policy for the past 12 months, the OHR was practically closed, during a very bad period for BH, in the middle of the worst election campaign since 1992, public invitations of Prime Minister Milorad Dodik to a referendum and the entity breaking off, rise of international tensions, said Lyon.

The OHR credibility collapsed to such extent he cannot see justification for further existence of the Office of High Representatives in BH.

It is stated in the report that the OHR should be retracted by the end of this year, and the Office of the Special EU Representative should take over his mandate. What is more, it is stressed that the new office should have a strong influence, but not Bonn authorisation as well (authority to dismiss officials and impose laws).

High representative buried Bonn authorisations

They are no longer useful. Schwarz-Schilling buried the Bonn authorities with his passivity. I believe their use would now result is politician`s disobedience, which would have a boomerang effect for the international community and would additionally debase its rocky credibility, considers Lyon.

Kosovo as a test for BH

Connection of the issue of the final Kosovo status and BH is stated just through public addresses of Bosnian Serb entity of Republika Srpska Prime minister Milorad Dodik and the Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica, who promote the policy of separatism through a story of Kosovo`s independence. Lyon pointed out that Schwarz- Schilling did not even try to silence Dodik, who did not hesitate to stress that in the case of Kosovo`s independence, a referendum for the RS secession would be issued out. Decision on the final Kosovo status, the report states, will be a test for BH`s strength.