Social Democrats [Branko
DOKIC, president]; Serb Party of Posavina and Krajina [Predrag
LAZAREVIC]; National Democratic Union [Fikret ABDIC]
note : 82 parties are registered for the September 1997 municipal
elections

Political pressure groups and leaders: NA

International organization participation: CE (guest), CEI, ECE, FAO,
IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol,
IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, NAM (guest), OIC (observer), OSCE, UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Sven ALKALAJ
chancery: Suite 760, 1707 L Street NW, Washington, DC 20036
telephone: [1] (202) 833-3612, 3613, 3615
FAX: [1] (202) 833-2061
consulate(s) general: New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Robert
BEECROFT
embassy: 43 Ul. Djure Djakovica, Sarajevo
mailing address: American Embassy Sarajevo, US Department of State,
Washington, DC 20521-7130
telephone: [387] (71) 445-700
FAX: [387] (71) 659-722

Flag description: white with a large blue shield; the shield contains
white fleurs-de-lis with a white diagonal band running from the upper
hoist corner to the lower outer side

Government - note: Until declaring independence in spring 1992, Bosnia
and Herzegovina existed as a republic in the Federal Republic of
Yugoslavia. Bosnia was partitioned by fighting during 1992-95 and
governed by competing ethnic factions. Bosnia's current governing
structures were created by the Dayton Accords, the 1995 peace
agreement which was officially signed in Paris on 14 December 1995 by
Bosnian President IZETBEGOVIC, Croatian President TUDJMAN, and Serbian
President MILOSEVIC. This agreement retained Bosnia's exterior border
and created a joint multi-ethnic and democratic government. This
national government - based on proportional representation similar to
that which existed in the former socialist regime - is charged with
conducting foreign, economic, and fiscal policy. The Dayton Accords
also recognized a second tier of government, comprised of two entities
- a joint Muslim-Croat Federation and the Bosnian Serb Republika
Srpska (RS) - each presiding over roughly one-half the territory.
These Federation and RS governments are charged with overseeing
internal functions. As mandated by the Dayton Accords, the Bosnians on
14 September 1996 participated in the first post-war elections o