AMENDMENTS TO THE LAW ON COUNCIL OF MINISTERS, DISMANTLING OF THE DAYTON

SARAJEVO, JUNE 12 /SRNA/ - Sanja Vulić, the head of the SNSD Caucus in the House of Representatives of the BiH Parliamentary Assembly, has stated today that the proposal to amend the Law on Council of Ministers represents a dismantling of the Dayton Peace Agreement, which clearly defined that the Parliamentary Assembly of BiH is bicameral.

Vulić has explained that the proposal states the House of Representatives could independently propose the dismissal and appointment of ministers, effectively excluding the House of Peoples. "I am aware that a certain political group currently finds the composition of deputies in the House of Peoples problematic, but the Constitution cannot be attacked and the Dayton People Agreement dismantled just because of temporary political satisfaction or a desire to be part of the government," Vulić told the press in Sarajevo. She has emphasized that the SNSD will not take part in such activities and that the party always stands for the letter - not the spirit – of the Dayton. Speaking about the amendments to the Public Procurement Law reviewed at today's session, she said SNSD MPs were the strongest critics, considering the law populist and a distraction from problems in the FBiH. "The strict measures being proposed will put us in a position where no one will implement public procurement, then we’ll face an epidemic across BiH, not just in Sarajevo Canton. As you’ve seen, the appearance of a million rats, as reported by the Sarajevo Canton Public Health Institute, didn’t happen overnight, but was a result of failure to implement disinfection, pest control, and rat extermination," said Vulić. She argued that today’s session distracted from the fact that a quarter of the ministers in the FBiH government have been arrested, which is a problem that haunts the "Troika" coalition and proves their incompetence. Vulić also noted that the Public Procurement Agency had already drafted a new law on public procurement and the consultations are underway, meaning that if the proposers of the current amendments had honest intents, they would have participated in that process. Responding to claims by some MPs that the director of the Republika Srpska University Clinical Centre Vlado Đajić misled directors of health institutions from BiH, Vulić says Đajić is a credible individual, as evidenced by the fact that he gathered all hospital and clinical centre directors in BiH in one place. "These are all people of credibility and authority. I respect every signature on the statement that was submitted, and if they are warning of procurement issues in the healthcare system, that should be taken seriously," Vulić stressed, adding that MPs should not play politics at the expense of public health. Vulić has emphasized that SNSD will not participate in any populist measures and will support only meaningful proposals. She has also said the House of Representatives is functioning "by force" and that MPs of the Bosniak and Serb "Troikas" are begging the SDA for support. "Without SDA support, the Bosniak and Serb `Troikas` are powerless," Vulić concluded.