Over a year after the 2018 election, foreign representatives in Sarajevo conveyed a new call for the government formation at all levels of authority, stressing that it was about time to implement the 2018 election results.

“After more than a year following the 2018 election, it is about time to form the government at all levels of authority and to implement the election results. As we have always been saying, we urge all parties to leave aside the narrow partisan interests and to focus on the exercise of power and the need of citizens,” the US Embassy told N1.

Due to political disagreements on changes of the electoral legislation, two election winners in the Federation (FBiH), the Bosniak-Croat shared entity, still have not agreed on the government formation.

While the Croat Democratic Union (HDZ BiH) insists on the law changes, the Bosniak election winner – the Party of Democratic Action (SDA), does not seem to be accepting it at this moment, which has caused a stalemate in this part of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Responding to the SDA's calls to nominate a candidate for the FBiH President, which would mark the beginning of the government formation process, Dragan Covic, the HDZ BiH leader, said he had a candidate but that “it would not go so fast,” suggesting that this process had to be preceded by the election law reform.

But, the international administrator who oversees the civilian part of the implementation of the Dayton Peace Accords – the peace treaty that ended the 1992-95 Bosnian war, warned that blocking the process only causes further divisions in the country.

“The Office of the High Representative (OHR) calls for government formation in the FBiH without further delays. The blockade of the government formation process in order to arrange desired changes to the Election Law does not only deepen already existing divisions in the country but it also hinders any compromise. The citizens voted new authorities 18 years ago, and it is high time that the elected officials deliver,” the Office told N1.

The European Union Delegation in Sarajevo joined the call, stressing that the government formation at all levels was essential for the country's EU path.

“Having in mind that BiH has applied for EU membership, and that the Council has welcomed the European Commission's Opinion, Bosnia and Herzegovina must demonstrate the ability to implement election results and show readiness to overcome difficulties in the spirit of dialogue and compromise,” they told N1.