SARAJEVO (Reuters) – Bosnia’s three-member presidency on Thursday nominated Croat politician Borjana Kristo as the Balkan country’s first female prime minister-designate, following a general election in October.
Kristo, 61, is the deputy president of the Croat’s largest party, the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ). She has served as the president of Bosnia’s autonomous Bosniak-Croat Federation and as deputy in both the regional and national parliaments during her 27 years in politics.
Kristo ran against moderate politician Zeljko Komsic for the job of the Croat presidency member, but Komsic won the election.
Komsic voted against Kristo’s nomination because she did not outline her programme as PM-designate. The Serb member of the Bosnian tripartite inter-ethnic presidency, Zeljka Cvijanovic, voted for her as did the Bosniak member, Denis Becirovic. The national parliament must vote on Kristo’s nomination within 30 days.
Kristo said that she would lead a national government that will work hard to restart delayed integration of Bosnia into the European Union. Last week, the EU granted Bosnia the status of a candidate to join the bloc.
Due to Bosnia’s complex multi-layer government system, only the presidency has been formed after the October vote, as well as the parliament and government of its autonomous Serb Republic, which is highly centralised.
The formation of parliaments and governments in the Bosniak-Croat Federation and at the national level has been delayed due to complicated procedures in selecting representatives of each ethnic group in upper houses of parliaments.
The Serb, Bosniak and Croat nationalist parties have ruled Bosnia since its war ended. Their constant quarrels have halted economic reforms and the country’s progress toward the EU integration.
“It’s time to give a chance to development, cooperation and dialogue in Bosnia and Herzegovina,” Becirovic said after the presidency session. “The citizens and peoples of Bosnia must no longer be held hostages of permanent blockades, blackmails and quarrels.”
(Reporting by Daria Sito-Sucic; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)
