VUKOVIĆ: DUE TO OBSTRUCTION FROM FBiH, WE WILL ADDRESS THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

BANJALUKA, JULY 28 /SRNA/ - Rade Vuković, President of the Association of Military Pensioners of Republika Srpska, stated that representatives of Republika Srpska in the joint institutions of BiH should finally bring the issue of military apartments in the Federation of BiH /FBiH/ before the European Parliament, as the apartments are owned by former JNA officers from Republika Srpska and Serbia.

Vuković emphasized that the FBiH authorities continue to obstruct the return of around 200 military apartments. Commenting on the House of Representatives of the FBiH Parliament's rejection of the proposed amendments to the Law on the Sale of Apartments with Tenancy Rights, which also addressed compensation for users of 648 military apartments, Vuković told SRNA this represents a clear obstruction of rightful return. "It would be fair to provide those individuals with just and adequate compensation for the military apartments in the FBiH," Vuković stated. He noted that some owners had previously filed individual lawsuits before the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg and are now awaiting rulings. Vuković said that the current apartment price in Sarajevo is BAM 7,000 to 8,000 per square meter. "A military apartment that is 50 years old is worth around BAM 50,000, reduced by one percent annual depreciation, meaning the owner would ultimately receive only BAM 25,000, half of the value effectively taken from them," Vuković warned. The House of Representatives of the FBiH Parliament rejected the proposed amendments to the Law on the Sale of Apartments with Tenancy Rights, which, among other things, included compensation for 648 military apartment users. The draft law, which did not pass, proposed compensation of BAM 1,000 per square meter, reduced by one percent annual depreciation, amounting in total to BAM 16.3 million.