Fifa and Uefa vice president Geoffrey Thompson said Wednesday that Bosnia has until March 31 to change its rules. -File Photo

SARAJEVO: Bosnia’s football federation has been given until the end of March to cut its three presidents to one or face suspension from Fifa.

Bosnia’s federation reflects the political setup of the country and its ethnic division after the 1992-95 war. It consists of two associations: A Bosnian Serb and another shared by Bosniaks and Croats. Together they are headed by a three-member presidency, made up of a Bosniak, a Croat and a Serb.

Fifa and Uefa vice president Geoffrey Thompson said Wednesday that Bosnia has until March 31 to change its rules.

Just like in real politics, the Bosnian Serbs do not agree with the concept of one president as they fear this might jeopardize their autonomy. They also base their refusal on the country’s constitution written in 1995 during peace negotiations in Dayton, Ohio.

 The peace agreement ended the Bosnian war but divided it along ethnic lines and prescribed a three-member presidency for the country a setup that has proven ineffective as all three have to agree in order to pass a decision.

“We understand the difficulties that have occurred in this country particularly in relation to the Dayton agreement,” Thompson said in Sarajevo.

“You are not compelled to join Fifa and Uefa, but if you do you must follow their statutes,”

The three-member presidency and other provisions of the Bosnian statute that did not conform to Fifa’s standards were tolerated for years because both Fifa and Uefa were aware of Bosnia’s political problems. But “15 years after Dayton the transition period is over,” Thompson said.

Previously, the vice president of the Bosnian Serb association, Stasa Kosarac, told media his association will continue insist on three presidents who could rotate as chairman every 16 months.

“That is our position and our minimum we can not go below,” he said.

An additional dilemma is that the Serb half of the country doesn’t even support Bosnia’s national team. People there view the national team of neighboring Serbia as their own, and would not be unhappy to see the Bosnian team suspended.

Muhamed Bikic, a sports reporter from Sarajevo said the situation has become “absurd” as the “Fifa’s suspension would effectively punish those in Bosnia who voted for Fifa’s rules and will reward those who voted against it.” – AP