VZCZCXRO3967
PP RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHLN
RUEHLZ RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHVJ #0349 0521744
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 211744Z FEB 08
FM AMEMBASSY SARAJEVO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7881
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/JCS WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUFOAOA/USNIC SARAJEVO BK PRIORITY

UNCLAS SARAJEVO 000349 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
EUR FOR DICARLO, EUR/SCE (HOH, FOOKS, STINCHCOMB); NSC FOR 
BRAUN; OSD FOR BEIN 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL BK
SUBJECT: BOSNIA - PARLIAMENT CONFIRMS GOVERNMENT; DEBATES 
POLICE REFORM LEGISLATION; DEFERS SNSD DECLARATION 
 
REF: A. 07 SARAJEVO 2370 
 
     ¶B. SARAJEVO 331 
 
¶1.  (U)  Bosnia's House of Representatives on February 20 
confirmed all nominations for the Council of Ministers.  The 
government had been in technical mandate since November 1 
when Nikola Spiric, Chair of the Council of Ministers and 
Prime Minister, resigned in protest over the imposition of 
the October 19 measures by High Rep Lajcak (Ref A).  The 
Council of Ministers' lineup remains unchanged and is as 
follows: Chairman, Nikola Spiric; Foreign Affairs, Sven 
Alkalaj; Defense, Selmo Cikotic; Foreign Trade and Economic 
Relations, Slobodan Puhalac; Treasury, Dragan Vrankic; Civil 
Affairs, Sredoje Novic; Human Rights and Refugees, Safet 
Halilovic; Security, Tarik Sadovic; Justice, Barisa Colak; 
and Transportation and Communications, Bozo Ljubic. 
 
¶2.  (U) At the same session the House of Representatives also 
approved the state budget at 1.186 billion KM, the amount of 
the original proposal by the Council of Ministers.  The 
budget now moves to the House of Peoples for final approval. 
The House of Representatives also engaged in a long debate on 
police reform legislation which, over the objections of SDA 
and SDP, it approved in its first reading, allowing the 
legislation to proceed to a committee review.  The Joint 
Committee on Defense and Security will have the opportunity 
to review, and possibly amend, the legislation as early as 
February 25.  (Details to follow septel). 
 
¶3.  (U) Due to the long debate over police reform and the 
budget the House of Representatives did not take up the SNSD 
proposed "Declaration of Responsibility," which among other 
things, confirms the RS as a "state entity" within Bosnia 
(Ref B).  It appears that the next opportunity for parliament 
to take up the Declaration will be at the March 5 session of 
the House of Representatives. 
ENGLISH