Annex IV Article III Section 2 (c) of the Dayton Accords: The Entities shall provide a safe and secure environment for all persons in their respective jurisdictions, by maintaining civilian law enforcement agencies operating in accordance with internationally recognized standards and with respect for the internationally recognized human rights and fundamental freedoms referred to in Article II above, and by taking such other measures as appropriate.

ASHDOWN WARNS BOSNIAN SERB ENTITY RISKS ISOLATION OVER POLICE REFORM
BBC Monitoring International Reports - August 20, 2005

Text of report in English by Croatian news agency HINA

Banja Luka, 20 August: High Representative to Bosnia-Hercegovina Paddy Ashdown has warned the Bosnian Serb leadership that unless progress is made and they soften their position on the reform of the country's police forces, the European Union might consider the possibility of admitting to its membership only one part of Bosnia-Hercegovina, without the Serb entity.

Banja Luka's Nezavisne novine daily of Saturday [20 August] quoted Ashdown as saying that another possible measure was a ban on the ruling Serb Democratic Party (SDS) and replacement of its officials.

Ashdown issued the warning at a meeting on Mt Jahorina near Sarajevo that was called on Thursday by Republika Srpska [Bosnian Serb Republic] President and SDS leader Dragan Cavic, and that was also attended by other senior Serb officials.

"The SDS presidency is now expected to exert pressure on its deputies in the Republika Srpska parliament to adopt the police reform," a senior SDS official told the daily.

If the police reform is not adopted, Republika Srpska could end up like the isolated part of Cyprus, the official said.

The European Commission insists on the adoption of three EU principles - the transfer of police authority from entity governments to the central government, the organization of police force into ten districts crossing entity borders and the depoliticising of police.

The Serb side insisted at talks held last Wednesday on keeping its own interior ministry with five police districts which would not cross entity borders.

The talks are scheduled to continue in Mostar on 23 August.

Source: HINA news agency, Zagreb, in English 1114 gmt 20 Aug 05

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