March 8 (SeeNews) - Lidija Bradara took office as president of Bosnia and Herzegovina's Federation, after being elected by the upper house of the entity's parliament last week.
The Federation's previous president, Marinko Cavara, handed over his duties to Bradara on Tuesday, according to a statement by the entity's presidency.
Cavara held the position since 2015.
Bradara has 30 days from her election to propose a new government of the entity.
The president and vice-presidents of the Federation are proposed and elected by the parliament of the Federation for a four-year term. Members of parliament vote on one or several joint slates composed of three candidates including one candidate from each constituent people.
According to the US-brokered Dayton peace agreement that put an end to the war in Bosnia in the 1990s, the country is divided into two entities - the Serb Republic - mostly populated by ethnic Serbs - and the Federation - majority populated by Bosniaks and Croats. The Brcko District, functioning under a decentralised system of local government, was created in 2000, out of land from both entities to reflect its multi-ethnic nature.
The Federation and the Serb Republic have their own governments and parliaments and are linked by a weak central government. The Federation is divided into ten cantons with their own governments and parliaments. An international overseeing body holds the supreme authority in the country.