The Ninth Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Bosnian and Croatian: Deveti saziv Vijeća ministara Bosne i Hercegovine, ) was the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina cabinet formed on 11 January 2007, following the 2006 general election. It was led by Chairman of the Council of Ministers Nikola Špirić. The cabinet was dissolved on 20 February 2008 and was succeeded by a new Council of Ministers presided over by Špirić.
History The First Špirić cabinet was formed on 11 January 2007, following the 2006 general election.Nicholas Walton, A house divided: Bosnia after the elections, openDemocracy, 3 October 2006, accessed 25 November 2006 At the election, the Alliance of Independent Social Democrats (SNSD), of which Špirić is part of, won the most parliamentary seats in Republika Srpska, one of the two entities of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the third most seats in the whole country with 46.9% of the vote. This secured the SNSD a part of a majority coalition government in the Council of Ministers.
Three months after the election, the new Council of Ministers was formed with Špirić presiding.
Ten months after the government's formation, on 1 November, Špirić tendered his resignation in protest of parliamentary reforms imposed by High Representative Miroslav Lajčák. Špirić felt that the reforms would reduce the influence of Bosnia's Serb population. The resignation was deemed by some to be the country's most serious crisis since the end of the Bosnian War.BBC NEWS | Europe | Bosnian PM resigns over reforms After the crisis was resolved, he was renominated for the chairman's post on 10 December 2007,Girodivite: Centro Studi Europa dell'Est - news del 10.12.2007 - powered by www.seenews.com confirmed by the Presidency on 27 December 2007 and by Parliament a day later, on 28 December. With Špirić's reappointment, a new cabinet presided by Špirić was officially formed in February 2008, but with little change.
Party breakdown Party breakdown of cabinet ministers: Alliance of Independent Social Democrats 3 Croatian Democratic Union 2 Party of Democratic Action 2 Party for Bosnia and Herzegovina 2 Croatian Democratic Union 1990 1
Cabinet members The Cabinet was structured into the offices for the chairman of the Council of Ministers, the two vice chairs and 9 ministries.
← Špirić I Cabinet → (11 January 2007 – 20 February 2008) Portfolio Name Party Took office Left office Chairman of the Council of Ministers Nikola Špirić SNSD 11 January 2007 20 February 2008 Minister of Finance and Treasury Vice Chairman of the Council of Ministers Dragan Vrankić HDZ BiH 11 January 2007 20 February 2008 Minister of Security Vice Chairman of the Council of Ministers Tarik Sadović SDA 11 January 2007 20 February 2008 Minister of Foreign Affairs Sven Alkalaj SBiH 11 January 2007 20 February 2008 Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations Slobodan Puhalac SNSD 11 January 2007 20 February 2008 Minister of Defence Selmo Cikotić SDA 22 April 2007 20 February 2008 Minister of Justice Bariša Čolak HDZ BiH 11 January 2007 20 February 2008 Minister of Civil Affairs Sredoje Nović SNSD 11 January 2007 20 February 2008 Minister of Communication and Traffic Božo Ljubić HDZ 1990 11 January 2007 20 February 2008 Minister of Human Rights and Refugees Safet Halilović SBiH 11 January 2007 20 February 2008
References
External links Website of the Council of Ministers