The situation in Mostar where local elections were not held for the past 11 years cannot be considered normal, British Ambassador to Bosnia Matthew Field said Friday, adding that it is a shame for democracy.

“The entire British Embassy is in Mostar today because we want to show we care about this city, but also to hear what its citizens have to say so we could know their problems and needs,” Field said in Mostar, where his embassy organised a number of activities within which the he plans to visit schools and NGOs.

In 2010, the Constitutional Court issued a decision ordering that the State Election Law and the Mostar City Statute be amended, because the Statute, imposed by the international community's administrator overseeing the civilian implementation of the Dayton Peace Agreement that ended the 1992-1995 war in Bosnia, violates the basic democratic principle of ‘one man – one vote.’

Since then, the two ethnic-oriented parties were unable to reach an agreement which would implement the Court's decision out of fear of losing the advantage of one party over the other.

During his stay in this southern Bosnian city, the Ambassador will visit the United World College and meet with students to discuss problems faced by youth and their future, as well as the Fourth Elementary School where he will hold an interactive class in English language.

The visit will end with a concert by the British Embassy band at the Centre for Special Needs Youth ‘Los Rosales’ and the money from the tickets will be donated to the Centre.