High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina

The parliament of the Bosnian Serb entity, Republika Srpska, RS, on Wednesday called for the closure of the Office of the High Representative, OHR, the international body overseeing the peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

So, what next for OHR and Bosnia? The aim here is not to discuss the relevance of the OHR's powers, or the future course of difficult reforms, or even the issues of geopolitics and foreign influence in Bosnia. It is to look at key "softer" questions that have been long overlooked but which could profoundly change the nature and vigour of this institution and its doing.

The question is, why is Germany doing this and why now?

So how to arrest this situation?

No need for big bang Dayton II

The US Supreme Court has confirmed that it long ago dismissed an appeal by a Bosnian Serb for it to hear his case against the Office of the High Representative, OHR - the international body overseeing the 1995 Dayton peace deal in Bosnia.

Turkey is contributing to the stability in the Balkans both politically and culturally, said an international envoy.

"Turkey is a factor of stability in the Balkans both in the political and cultural area," High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina Valentin Inzko said told Anadolu Agency in an exclusive interview.

Bosnians, at home and among the diaspora communities in the US, Europe, and Australia, are in fact affecting change outside the political process by investing in the country's grassroots economic, cultural, civil society, and educational development. These commendable efforts will take time to develop and mature.

At that time, state building reached its apogee and a thousand flowers were blooming with ideas about constitutional reform. It was not then nearly as politically radioactive a concept as it later became.

Representatives of some 50 world powers, including the US, Russia, EU and most EU member countries, convene in Sarajevo on Tuesday and Wednesday for a regular biannual meeting of the Peace Implementation Council, PIC, the ad hoc body overseeing the work of Bosnia and Herzegovina's once-powerful international administrator, the Office of the High Representative, OHR.

The high representative should have left Bosnia-Herzegovina a long time ago, says the current chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Mladen Ivanic.

Ivanic, who represents Serb in the tripartite body, also told Tanjug in an interview that the Office of the High Representative (OHR) is staffed by people "who have no other alternative."