KOVAČEVIĆ: CONSTITUTIONAL RESPECT ESSENTIAL FOR COOPERATION AT BiH LEVEL

BANJA LUKA, OCTOBER 13 /SRNA/ - Respect for the BiH Constitution must be the basis for cooperation at the BiH level and for the work of the future authorities and the Council of Ministers, SNSD spokesman Radovan Kovačević said today.

"Nothing particularly unusual happened yesterday. The election winners, SNSD and HDZ BiH, discussed the implementation of the election results and future cooperation. Who else should be talking —-surely not those who lost the elections," Kovačević told RTRS. He said SNSD had received the mandate of the Serb people to represent Republika Srpska at the BiH level, while HDZ BiH had received the support of the Croat people. Kovačević noted that a significant change was that, after eight years, HDZ BiH would again have a member of the BiH Presidency. "Once the election results are confirmed, the members of the BiH Presidency will hold their inaugural session. The Croats have had problems when it comes to diplomacy, while positions in the diplomatic network will also be of interest to representatives of Srpska. This will be one of the more important tasks," Kovačević added. He said priorities would also include certain restructuring within the BiH Central Bank and the BiH Armed Forces, as well as other matters within the jurisdiction of the BiH Presidency, such as appointing the Chairperson of the Council of Ministers. Kovačević said it was important for SNSD to reach agreement on arrangements at the BiH level that were acceptable to the party. According to him, SNSD leader Milorad Dodik had made it clear that nothing said at the meeting with HDZ BiH was directed against the third constituent people in BiH or their representatives. "We are inviting them to work together. SNSD will never give up on protecting the Serb people and the interests of Republika Srpska," Kovačević said.