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New envoy takes charge in Bosnia | |
(1 day later) | |
Slovakia's diplomat Miroslav Lajcak is taking over as the international High Representative for Bosnia-Hercegovina. | |
Mr Lajcak has said his first task will be to help end the country's political deadlock and revive the economy - 12 years after the end of the Bosnian war. | |
The planned handover of power to local lawmakers in June 2007 has been put back as Bosnia is still deeply divided along ethnic lines. | |
Mr Lajcak is replacing Christian Schwarz-Schilling, a German diplomat. | |
Mr Schwarz-Schilling Bosnia's international administrator since early 2006, but critics say he has failed to make politicians from rival ethnic groups work together to agree core reforms. | |
This was partly due to the lack of reform but also because of fears that any Western recognition of independence for ethnic Albanians in Kosovo could trigger a reaction among Bosnian Serbs. | |
Ethnic divisions | Ethnic divisions |
The High Representative - a post set up under the 1995 Dayton Peace Agreement that ended the Bosnian war - has the power to dismiss Bosnia's top politicians and officials. | The High Representative - a post set up under the 1995 Dayton Peace Agreement that ended the Bosnian war - has the power to dismiss Bosnia's top politicians and officials. |
Mr Schwarz-Schilling has served since January 2006 | |
Mr Lajcak has said that his first challenge will be "stabilisation of the atmosphere". | |
He has said that his priority will be unifying the various ethnic police forces and constitutional reform that would strengthen the central government - issues on which lawmakers are deadlocked. | |
When Mr Schwarz-Schilling took office, he said that his goal was to hand power back to Bosnian politicians. | When Mr Schwarz-Schilling took office, he said that his goal was to hand power back to Bosnian politicians. |
But ethnic divisions have continued to dominate politics, with leaders of Bosnia's Serbs, Muslims and Croats failing to agree on key reforms required for Bosnia's entry in the European Union. | But ethnic divisions have continued to dominate politics, with leaders of Bosnia's Serbs, Muslims and Croats failing to agree on key reforms required for Bosnia's entry in the European Union. |
"Certain key political leaders... have been irresponsible in their actions, putting their own ambitions ahead of the well-being of all the citizens of Bosnia-Hercegovina," Mr Schwarz-Schilling said at a press conference in Sarajevo on Thursday. | "Certain key political leaders... have been irresponsible in their actions, putting their own ambitions ahead of the well-being of all the citizens of Bosnia-Hercegovina," Mr Schwarz-Schilling said at a press conference in Sarajevo on Thursday. |
But, says the BBC's Nicholas Walton in Sarajevo, many Bosnians also blame the High Representative for being too weak and ineffectual to force these reforms through. | But, says the BBC's Nicholas Walton in Sarajevo, many Bosnians also blame the High Representative for being too weak and ineffectual to force these reforms through. |
Power is due to be returned to Bosnian politicians in mid-2008. | Power is due to be returned to Bosnian politicians in mid-2008. |
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