Social Democrats to propose constitutional changes

BiH mapa
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The Social Democratic Party plans to put another proposal for constitutional changes on the Parliament’s agenda but Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik claims the idea is dead on arrival.

The proposal is not new and is known as the April Package of constitutional reforms that failed to pass the parliament in 2006. The document proposed one instead of the current three presidents, strengthened the power of the parliament and the prime minister and his government.

According to the proposal, the country’s president would have two deputies who would be directly elected members of the parliament, nominated by 20 percent of the upper house and 10 percent of the lower house.

The number of lawmakers in the lower house would grow from 42 to 87 and in the upper house from 15 to 21.

Two thirds of the MPs in the lower house would be elected from Bosnia’s semi-autonomous Federation (FBiH) entity, shared mostly between Bosniaks and Croats, and one third from the other entity, the Serb-dominated Republika Srpska (RS).

Three seats would be occupied by representatives from the so-called “Others” – people who do not belong to the three dominant groups in the country.

It is the 2006 April package with one correction which allows the implementation of the ruling of the human rights court in Strasbourg which ordered Bosnia to allow minorities to fully participate in government the same way Bosniaks, Serbs and Croats do, according to the explanation Sasa Magazinovic from the Social Democrats gave.

Analysts say that the chances for this package to be adopted are slim as it strengthens the country’s central institutions – something Bosnian Serb representatives vehemently oppose.