„The situation in the secondary school of Stolac is the responsibility of the coalition partners SDA and HDZ BiH. They hold power in the municipality and are in coalition at the level of the Federation of BiH“, High Representative and EU Special Representative Miroslav Lajčák said in response to an open letter from the Chairman of the SDA Stolac Municipal Board, Zlatko Hadžiomerović.

„First and foremost, I expect the elected local representatives, including Mr. Hadžiomerović, to tackle the amassed problems in that school. Drafting open letters and criticizing coalition partners in the media will not resolve the situation”, Lajčák said.

The authorities must now focus on facilitating school enrolments and the issuance of diplomas to secondary school graduates.

„If local representatives are incapable of performing the jobs for which they were elected, their only choice is to resign from their posts and allow other people to resolve the current situation to the benefit of all students of the secondary school”,  the High Representative and EU Special Representative said. “Children must not be the victims of the political immaturity and inability of local authorities to take responsibility.”