Leaders of Bosnia’s six main parties have failed to reach agreement on ways to implement a 2009 European Court of Human Rights ruling on rights of ethnic minorities to allow them to be elected to high public offices. The European Court of Human Rights ruling, brought by Jew and a Roma, called on Bosnia and Herzegovina to change its constitution to allow ethnic minorities, as well as main ethnic groups (Bosniaks, Serbs and Croats), to compete for high public offices including for the Presidency and federal parliament.

Case applicants were President of the Jewish Community of Bosnia and Herzegovina Dr. Jakob Finci and one of the most prominent representatives of the Roma community, Dervo Sejdic. To the broader public this ruling is known as “Sejdic-Finci” ruling and it is one of the heaviest obstacles on the Bosnia’s road to European Union. This is another example of breach of rights, especially when it comes to the state of the Roma population in Bosnia, which is the largest unemployed, most uneducated and most unprotected minority group, with an overall population of close to 100,000 people.

Under Bosnia’s current constitution, integral part of Dayton Peace Agreement, and electoral law, all three members of the Presidency are chosen directly. Serbs are represented by a representative from...More >>