Lukac told a Federation entity parliament discussion on security matters that new mass protests are set for March 7 – one month after the start of the serious unrest that resulted in angry clashes between police and demonstrators.

After protests escalated on February 7 and spread from Tuzla to Sarajevo, Zenica, Mostar and Bihac, battles with the police resulted in hundreds of injuries and dozens of arrests.

Lukac, director of the Federation Police Authority, FUP, said the police was experiencing “pressure” in the course of its investigation but did not name the sources of this pressure.

“Very serious pressures have been registered from protesters and others – and I especially emphasize these others – on police and prosecution bodies related to committing crimes,” he added, referring to probes into the attacks on police and cantonal and state institutions on February 7.

He said laws regulating the work of the police needed changing and the organization and coordination of policemen in urgent situations needed updating to deal with outbreaks of unrest in future.

“The FUP does not have legal grounds to react to a situation of mass violation of public order and peace, except in the area of protecting persons or objects of significance to the Federation,” Predrag Kurtes, Federation Interior Minister, said addressing the parliament.

The minister referred to the uncertainty over which police agency had ultimate responsibility to prevent protesters from acts of violence and from causing damage to institutional buildings and police officers.

Lukac also said the violent part of the protests on February 7 had received organized, financed and enjoyed logistical support, and that this was being investigated as a terrorism case and would result in several persons possibly being arrested this week.

While police and judicial institutions deal with assigning responsibility for the violence during the protests, citizens in many towns in the Federation are still working in plenums to formulate their demands.

Street protests by citizens over unpaid salaries, the lack of jobs, corrupt politicians and incompetent policies generally, have also continued in a number of towns.