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POLITICS, GOVERNMENT, POLITICAL PARTIES, AND KEY POLITICAL LEADERS

System of Government: The Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina (abbreviated as B-H), established in 1992, had a bi-cameral National Assembly. The executive was led by a seven-member collective Presidency, with a Prime Minister and government. The 1994 Washington Agreement established the Federation of B-H to replace the Republic, bringing together both the Republican and the Bosnian Croat-sponsored secessionist "Herzeg-Bosna" administrations. The Prime Minister and Government of the Federation concurrently serve the Republic. Organization of the Federation government is incomplete, but in November 1995, the parties to the Washington Agreement committed themselves to speed up its implementation.

According to Dayton Agreement, the Federation of B-H, along with the Serbian Republic, are to form constituent parts of a new Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Governing bodies of the new Republic are to be selected in elections to be supervised by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).

The Judicial System: The war preclues a fully-functional justice system. However the pre-war court system continues to function in Sarajevo and in more secure areas of the country. The highest judicial organs of the Federation are the Supreme Court and the Constitutional Court. A Constitutional Court of the new Republic is to be established according to the Dayton Agreement.

The United Nations has established the International War Crimes Tribunal in The Hague to try war criminals. Trials may not take place without the presence of the accused. As of mid-November 1995, the Tribunal has indicted 52 people, most of them Bosnian Serbs. Only one suspect, Dusan Tadic, is in custody and facing imminent trial. Investigators from the International Tribunal visit Federation court officials regularly to gather information for Tribunal action. After the Dayton Agreement, it is to be expected that cooperation will improve as well with Serbian Republic authorities.

Human Rights: Under severe threat during the war, guarantees of human rights have been specifically imbedded in the Constitutions of the Federation and of the new Republic. The Federation Constitution established three Federation Ombudsmen, Bosnian citizens, to receive complaints of rights violations from the public and to address the government for redress. The OSCE is responsible for appointing and supporting the Ombudsmen, who are required to make at least annual reports to OSCE on their activities and progress. If they receive no response from the Federation government on a specific case, the Ombudsmen may request assistance from the OSCE.

The Constitution agreed in Dayton establishes an Ombudsman's Office and a Human Rights Chamber for the new Republic. The Ombudsman and a majority of the Human Rights Chamber are to be non-Bosnians for at least the first five years after signing of the Dayton Agreement.

Political Parties: The principal ethnic parties of the 1990 elections still dominate Bosnian politics. The Party for Democratic Action or SDA (ethnic Bosnjak party, headed by Alija Izetbegovic) dominated the Bosnian Government in Sarajevo, especially after the withdrawal of the SDS and HDZ. The Croatian Democratic Union or HDZ (the ethnic Croat party, formerly headed by Dario Kordic) set up and ran the secessionist "Herceg-Bosna" administration. The Serbian Democratic Party or SDS (ethnic Serb party, formerly headed by Radovan Karadzic) set up and controlled the Serbian Republic.

Smaller parties have survived primarily in the territory controlled by the Bosnian Government. The Serbian Citizens' Council (ethnic Serb party headed by Mirko Pejanovic) has been particularly active contesting the assertion of the SDS that it represents all Bosnian Serbs. Also active are the Croatian Peasants' Party (HSS headed by Ivo Komsic), Republican Party (headed by Stjepan Klujic), the Party of Democratic Change (SDP-the former Communists), the Muslim-Bosnjak Organization (of Adil Zulfikarpasic and Muhamed Filipovic), Union of Social Democrats, and the Croatian Rights Party. During the war, smaller parties have been most significant in Sarajevo itself and in the Tuzla Opstina (or commune).

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