Employment Row Threatens Sarajevo Canton Talks

The Democratic Front, DF, one of the parties that did best in Bosnia's October elections, said it had halted talks with the Party of Democratic Action, SDA, on forming a cantonal government in Sarajevo, accusing the SDA was employing dozens of its own people in the new cantonal administration.

Sifet Podzic of the Democratic Front, which came second in the elections in Sarajevo Canton after the SDA, told Balkan Insight that the SDA was not respecting the principles that the two parties had signed up to.

"The SDA does not respect the agreement... which said that we would make appointments on basis of the credibility of the candidates," Podzic said.

"Unfortunately, the SDA... is conducting mass employment... of dozens of people...employed in ministries from October 12 onwards," he added.

The DF, the SDA, the Alliance for Changes in Republika Srpska and the Croatian Democratic Union, HDZ, last month signed agreements on mutual collaboration in the formation of a state-level government.

The agreements contained a clause that new appointments would only be made "in accordance with the criteria of the competence of the candidates" who would be expected to present their plans for improving the sector in which they would work.

The DF said its entire partnership with the SDA was now at risk if the SDA did not stop employing people outside the agreed terms.

Sefik Dzaferoic of the SDA said the agreement between the SDA and DF was not in danger although some issues needed to be discussed.

"I am sure that based on those two agreements, we will form a government for Bosnia and Herzegovina, in the Federation entity, but also in all the cantons," Dzaferovic said, declining to comment on accusations of...