Bosnia Beats Deadline to Form New Governments

Leaders of Bosnia's ruling parties averted political and financial disaster - literally on the stroke of midnight - by approving new state and Federation entity governments as well as Federation entity budget for 2015.

Administrative problems, procedural shortcomings and political squabbling had blocked the formation of new governments on different levels for a full half year after general elections last October.

Although Bosniak, Croatian and Serbian parties agreed a ruling coalition at state level and in the Federation entity by December, they needed three more months to work out the share of key posts at different levels.

New state government, the Council of Ministers, consists of:

Denis Zvizdic, SDA - chairman

Adil Osmanovic, SDA - minister of civil affairs

Semiha Borovac, SDA - minister for human rights and refugees

Vjekoslav Bevanda, Croat Democratic Union, HDZ - vice-chairman and minister of finance and treasury

Marina Pendes, HDZ - minister of defence

Josip Grubesa, HDZ - minister of justice

Slavko Matanovic, Democrazic Front, DF - minister of transport and communications

Igor Crnadak, Party of Democratic Progress, PDP - foreign minister

Mirko Sarovic, Serb Democratic Party, SDS -  vice-chairman and minister of foreign trade and economic relations

Dragan Mektic, SDS - minister of security

The failure of the parties to agree on the formation of new governments threatened to further destabilize the...