Mostar bridge - Published letter in Independent by Brian Gallagher

The Independent, Letters 26 July 2004

http://argument.independent.co.uk/letters/story.jsp?story=544658

Mostar bridge

Sir: It is good news that Mostar's Old Bridge has been
rebuilt (report, 23 July). However, problems remain.
Mostar now has a small Croat majority. Bosnia's High
Representative, Lord Ashdown, recently imposed on
Mostar a political system where no ethnic majority
could take control.

This would be a good idea if applied to all of
Bosnia's towns such as Muslim-controlled Sarajevo or
Serb-controlled Banja Luka. But it will not be. By
effectively discriminating against the Croats in such
a manner, Lord Ashdown has simply ensured that
tensions in Mostar will remain for many years to come.

BRIAN GALLAGHER
London