prijava
SARAJEVO, December 23 (FENA) - Former High Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina Paddy Ashdown, who passed away last year, loved Bosnia and Herzegovina and its people, it is said today at the event dedicated to the memory of Paddy Ashdown, which was organized by the Liberal Democratic Party (LDS) of BiH and the Liberal Forum in Sarajevo today.
Acting President of the LDS BiH Hasib Salkić recalled Ashdown's visits to Bosnia and Herzegovina at the beginning of the war.
"He came to the Liberal Party first, where, in conversation with then President Rasim Kadić and the rest of us, he received relevant information about what was going on in this country, although he was very well informed and aware of the international character of the war in the former Yugoslavia," said Salkić.
Talking about Paddy Ashdown's contribution to the implementation of the Dayton Agreement, President of the Liberal Forum of BiH, Danijel Hadžović, said that his contribution was the implementation of the Agreement on the one hand but also the advancement of the Dayton Agreement, because, according to Annex 10, the High Representative is the final interpreter of the civilian aspects of the Dayton Agreement.
However, later, in accordance with the 1997 Bonn powers, the High Representative was given the authority to impose laws, to dismiss officials, to amend the Constitution, etc.
"Paddy Ashdown, who in his term of office, in less than four years, became the record holder for the number of use of Bonn powers. In that sense, Paddy Ashdown imposed a number of reforms and laws that went toward strengthening the state of BiH, strengthening the state level of government and its powers," said Hadžović.
"However, this process remained unfinished, and after Paddy Ashdown's departure from BiH, we had a different political trend, a trend of decline in the interest of the international community in BiH," said Hadžović.
LDS BiH Vice President Zlatko Hurtić noted that Paddy Ashdown was, first and foremost, a "big fan of Bosnia and Herzegovina". He said that although he was an experienced diplomat, he did not hesitate to say that he loved BiH and its people.
"His wife Jane expressed her gratitude for keeping the memory of Paddy, thanking us for organizing this gathering. She asked if we can convey the desire of Paddy Ashdown, which he had stated in the last moments of his life, is that his tombstone has no titles but simply "Paddy, High Representative in BiH”. Today is an opportunity to thank him and say that we will remember him,” said Hurtić.
The Liberal Democratic Party and the Liberal Forum supported the initiative of the International Liberal Movement to set up the Paddy Ashdown Foundation and it would be supported in BiH as well.
(FENA) A. B.
