Beyond Dayton III: Intra-Ethnic Divisions and Collapse

Abstract

The third phase of constitutional reform began with the referral of the constitutional package to parliament on March 30, when a new set of dynamics developed. While the United States and EU member states increased pressure significantly through direct lobbying, politics at the intra-ethnic level acquired a new dimension that resulted in the failure of the constitutional process on April 26. Indeed, the package agreed upon by the party leaders in March 2006 was strongly contested by various groups in the House of Representatives, including the Croat caucus, the SBiH deputies, and other independents such as the Serb radicals. These forces comprised a majority in the Commission of Legal and Constitutional Affairs (CLAC), the House of Representatives body authorized to review (and amend if deemed appropriate) the initiative and, based on a majority vote, deny or approve its advancement to the House of Representatives for a broader public discussion. The first hurdle the agreement faced upon arriving in parliament was thus a heated debate within the CLAC.