SARAJEVO, June 4 (Xinhua) -- The Steering Board of the Peace Implementation Council (PIC) failed to agree on a successor to Bosnia and Herzegovina's High Representative after a two-day meeting in Sarajevo concluded on Thursday.
Current High Representative Christian Schmidt said intensive consultations had taken place and called on PIC members to continue negotiations through the end of June to facilitate a smooth transfer of responsibilities.
The meeting was convened following Schmidt's resignation announcement in May. The PIC, which oversees the implementation of the 1995 Dayton Peace Agreement, is responsible for selecting the High Representative.
Established under the Dayton Peace Agreement that ended the 1992-1995 Bosnian War, the Office of the High Representative (OHR) holds broad executive authority, known as the "Bonn powers," enabling the High Representative to impose legislation and remove public officials when deemed necessary.
During his tenure, Schmidt repeatedly exercised those powers, including introducing changes to Bosnia and Herzegovina's electoral framework, moves that drew criticism from political leaders in the Republika Srpska, a Serb-majority entity.
With no consensus reached, PIC members are expected to continue negotiations in the coming weeks as they seek agreement on a new High Representative and the future role of the international community in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
BiH now consists of two autonomous entities, Republika Srpska, with a predominantly Serbian population, and the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, mainly inhabited by Bosniaks and Croats. The two entities operate under a weak central government. ■