Sarajevo, Dec 20: Bosnia's tripartite presidency today appointed Adnan Terzic from the Muslim Nationalist Party of Democratic Action (SDA) as Prime Minister and asked him to form a new government. Terzic, a 42-year-old geodetics engineer and vice president of the SDA, was appointed after October general elections which returned the nationalists to power in the Balkan country's central presidency and its three parliaments.
His nomination was unanimously supported by the Croat, Muslim and Serb members of the central presidency, who are all from nationalist parties.
However, Terzic said he had already started negotiations with the moderate Serb Party of Democratic Progress (PDP) hoping to "form the government without the (Nationalist Serb Democratic Party) SDS."
The SDS, founded by fugitive war crimes suspect Radovan Karadzic ahead of Bosnia's 1992-95 war, permanently opposes strengthening the country's central institutions.

Terzic's appointment is expected to be confirmed by the central parliament next week, Mirko Sarovic, current chairman of the presidency, told reporters.
The parliament will then examine Terzic's nominees to his nine-portfolio cabinet.
The October 5 election handed the tripartite presidency to Sulejman Tihic of the SDA, Mirko Sarovic of the SDS and Dragan Covic of the Croat Democratic Union (HDZ), all nationalist groupings.

Bureau Report