Tihic, Covic meet to bridge differences prior to coalition meeting in BiH

20/08/2008

MOSTAR, Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) -- The chairman of the main Bosniak party, the Democratic Action Party (SDA), and the chairman of the main Croat party, the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) -- Sulejman Tihic and Dragan Covic, respectively -- met on Tuesday (August 19th) in Mostar. They are trying to bridge differences prior to Saturday's meeting of the leaders of the six parties in the state-level ruling coalition. Tihic and Covic concur that no concrete steps in regards to constitutional reform should be expected before March 2009. "We all agree the constitution needs change, but we all have different visions about it," Tihic told reporters after the meeting. He also accused Republika Srpska Prime Minister Milorad Dodik of being the main obstacle to amending the constitution and reiterated the SDA's stance that BiH should become a group of decentralised multi-ethnic regions. Covic added that, without a new constitutional order, BiH would have neither political nor economic stability, nor would it be able to advance in its EU integration bid. (Topvijesti, 24 Sata, Dnevni Avaz, Nezavisne Novine - 19/08/08)