25 / 514
Nuray BOZBORA
n
14
hand, in ‘April Package’, the issues relating to the Bosnia’s Euro-Atlantic Integration were addressed. According
to the ‘April Package’, tax system, the electoral process, science and technology, ecology and local government
areas of the state and the regions, would be under the joint management of the state and the Regions. The number
of members of the Parliamentary Assembly would rise from 42 to 87. the Presidential election would be held in
the authority of the House of Representatives and the National Assembly. In the office of the presidency would be
one president and two vice -President. In the elections for the presidential and National Assembly, Bosniacs and
Croats from Republika Srpska would also be a candidate. In the same way the Serbs would be nominated from the
FBiH (Mustajbegovic, 2007).
Despite all the efforts of the European and American diplomats, ‘April Package’ was not accepted by the Parlia-
mentary Assembly of BiH in April of 2006. Bosniac and Croat parties, SDA and HDZ were ready to accept the
‘April Package’. But in the final stages of negotiations, Bosniac and Croat Parties, SBiH and HDZ -1990, refused
the Package and the Package was not accepted in the Parliamentary Assembly. The reason for the rejection of
‘April Package’ as has been explained by Bosniac Party SBİH was that the regulations of the Package is damaging
the sovereignty of the Bosnian state by preserving the existence of the Republika Srpska which was founded on the
genocide. SBiH, as stated in its party program has been in favor of the strengthening of the state bodies and the
gradual abolition of the Entities. Another reason for the rejection was the continuance of the principle of voting at
the level of the entities in general elections. It was claimed that this voting system would continue to damage the
state organs. SBiH leader Haris Silajdzic claimed that in the case of the acceptance of the package this would mean
the approval of the Dayton Constitution by the Parliamentary Assembly. Because the Dayton Constitution never
was approved by the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Mustajbegovic, 2007).
With the initiative of the American diplomats, Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik and Bosniac leader Haris
Silajdzic met in Washington for providing an agreement on the April Package, in May 2007. Dodik softened his
stance on the elections at the level of the Entities. He was ready to accept a certain level of control of the police
forces of Republika Srpska to be in the hands of the state authorities. To accept such a change, Bosniak Leader
Haris Silajdic argued that the name of the Republika Srpska must be changed. However, Milorad Dodik did not
accept such a proposal. As a results, the American diplomats’ Efforts were wasted.
The failure of the ‘April Package’ has created many consequences in the political arena. As a result of the disputes
the strongest Croat Party HDZBİH was split into two and new parties were established; HDZBİH and HDZ-
1990. As opposed to ‘April Package’, president of SBiH Haris Silajdzic raised his popularity among Bosniacs and
he defeated Bosniac Party SDA in the elections of 2006. In the next period, attitudes of the Bosnian Serb leaders
against the constitutional changes became more nationalistic and more uncompromising. This example is very
important, in terms of showing how much the Serbian politicians are allergic to the idea of integration of the
Bosniacs.
The failure of ‘April Package’ revealed the increasing need for the International community’s pressure for steps
destroying ethnic barriers in BiH. In addition to the defects in institutional framework in BiH, there were three
more elements undermining consitutional reform and democratization process in the country: lack of trust among
each constituent peoples; fragmented nature of the party system within ethnic groups; and the lack of unity within
international community (Sebastian, 2007: 9).
‘
Prud Agreement’
After ‘April package’, one of the most important efforts on constitutional amendments was the Prud Agreement
lasted fromMarch 2009 until November 2009. Negotiations was carried out by the three political parties; Bosniak
party, the SDA, Croat and Serb parties party HDZBiH and SNSD. The leaders of the three parties, Sulejman Tihic,
Dragan Covic and President Milorad Dodik has announced that they signed a historic agreement in Prud. But
among the three political parties, an important agreement was not achieved. The three parties were able to agree
on general principles. The constitutional amendment would be made by local politicians and foreign experts. They
decided the constitution need to be reformed in order to be compatible with the European Convention on Human
Rights. Other parties have refused to participate in negotiations. The international community did not take an
active role in the Treaty. So the importance of the Prud Treaty gradually diminished (Ralchev, 2009).