CEC BIH - ANTI-SERB INSTITUTION; SRPSKA URGED TO DEFEND ITS CONSTITUTIONAL COMPETENCIES

BANJA LUKA, MARCH 19 /SRNA/ The decision by the Central Election Commission /CEC/ of BiH to select a more expensive bid from a foreign consortium for the procurement of election technologies, while rejecting a significantly more favorable offer from a company based in Banja Luka, once again confirms what Republika Srpska has long warned about - that the CEC of BiH is a political instrument and an anti-Serb institution, the SNSD said in a statement.

"Today's decision is not an exception, but yet another in a series of proofs that all future decisions of the CEC will be directed against Republika Srpska and to the detriment of its institutions. The manner in which decisions are made within this commission clearly shows that political motives are being placed above the law, transparency, and basic logic," the statement said. It adds that it is particularly indicative that the offer from a Banja Luka-based company was rejected, even though it was cheaper by around BAM 17 million compared to the selected bid. "In any serious country, that would be a reason for such an offer to be given special consideration and for the public to receive clear and convincing explanations. Instead, the public has been presented with cynicism, along with absurd and unbelievable explanations claiming that the more favorable offer was `unnaturally low`. Such reasoning cannot conceal the essence - the offer was rejected solely because it comes from Republika Srpska," the SNSD stated. The statement emphasizes that with this decision, the CEC of BiH once again demonstrates that it does not act as an independent electoral institution, but rather as a political center of power attempting to make decisions to the detriment of Republika Srpska and its business entities. For this reason, SNSD warns the public that every future decision of the CEC must be viewed with particular caution, as it is increasingly evident that this institution is being used to exert political influence that has nothing to do with the law or democratic standards. "Republika Srpska and its institutions have an obligation to respond decisively to such actions and to protect their constitutional competencies, as well as business entities from Republika Srpska, which are clearly not treated equally within the system imposed by the CEC of BiH," the SNSD stated.