Bother in Bosnia

A political crisis between divided communities in the former Yugoslav republic of Bosnia is threatening to spiral out of control.

Saturday is the deadline for new legislative rules designed to end frequent political deadlock in the country by reducing the number of ministers needed to vote on laws. The international viceroy for Bosnia-Herzegovina (BiH), the Slovak diplomat Miroslav Lajcak, has threatened to impose his decision on parliament if no compromise deal is reached.   BiH Prime Minister Nikola Spiric has resigned in protest, saying it now makes no difference whether he heads the government, or Bart Simpson.

The Bosnian Serbs demand that Lajcak withdraw his proposals, which aim to make government effective by stopping Serb boycotts.  They fear being permanently outvoted.  This assumes that Bosnian politics is tribal, with the Serbs pitted against the rest.  Polls show Serb majorities in favour of retaining their own police force -- an embryonic army -- and if Kosovo secedes from Serbia, of seceding from BiH.  The Serbs want as little to do as possible with Bosnia's Muslims and Croats, and the status quo suits them.

They may be acting for Belgrade -- linking Bosnia's stability to Kosovo could blackmail the West into dropping independence for Kosovo lest Bosnia unravel.  Or they may hope that it will be too concerned with Kosovo to worry about them.

As the politicians bicker, investors pull out.