OŠAP-GAĆANOVIĆ: INTEGRAL BOSNIAK POLICY IS FORCEFULLY ALTERING ITS DAYTON CHARACTER

ISTOČNO SARAJEVO, JUNE 30 /SRNA/ - The Commission to Preserve National Monuments is an example of what BiH institutions look like when an integral Bosniak policy forcefully alters their Dayton character, Anđelina Ošap-Gaćanović, the Commission member from Republika Srpska, told SRNA.

Ošap-Gaćanović said that the member of the Presidency of BiH Denis Bećirović by violating procedures yesterday, continued to annul the will of Republika Srpska—a process he began in January when an anti-Dayton decision regarding the Commission was passed by outvoting the Serb member, thereby neutralizing the will of Republika Srpska. "This is a thuggish attempt to transform an institution of three constituent peoples, stemming from an international peace agreement, into an administrative organization under the control of a single people," said Ošap-Gaćanović. She emphasized her support for the national veto invoked by the Serb member of the Presidency of BiH, Željka Cvijanović, because the rights of Republika Srpska are threatened. She also noted that Republika Srpska is both the founder and a financier of the Commission, and that without Republika Srpska, there is no Commission to Preserve National Monuments. "All the problems in the institution arose from the legalization of the work of officials and members from the FBiH, against whom investigative proceedings are being conducted by order of the Prosecutor's Office of BiH; through this appointment, there is an attempt to grant them amnesty from potential criminal responsibility," she pointed out. It is concerning, according to her, that the regional UNESCO BiH office is involved in the processes of proposing foreign experts, especially because UNESCO BiH was the commissioner of an international analysis on the expediency of the Commission for National Monuments' existence in 2012. "The UNESCO analysis concluded that its purpose of existence had been surpassed, that it has neither an executive nor a legislative character or power, that it does not possess constitutional competences to deal with the affairs it handles, and that the protection of heritage is carried out by entity ministries of culture. The analysis concluded that it should be completely abolished, so it is suspicious why UNESCO BiH is now communicating with only one Presidency member regarding the proposal of experts and its expansion," highlighted Ošap-Gaćanović. Ošap-Gaćanović stated that yesterday's appointment of four members was an attempt to score political points, fulfill potential promises, and forcefully resolve personnel issues within the institution itself. "We found out that they tried to elect four Commission members—two from the FBiH and two foreigners—which does not constitute a new convocation of the Commission. Even in the illegal decision of the Presidency of BiH from January, it is clearly defined in two places that the Presidency appoints all five members in accordance with the decision, meaning a new convocation of the Commission was not appointed yesterday," Ošap-Gaćanović concluded. The Serb member of the Presidency of BiH Željka Cvijanović stated that the National Assembly of Republika Srpska will have the final say on the decision to appoint members of the Commission for the Protection of National Monuments, which she declared destructive to the vital national interest of Republika Srpska yesterday after it was voted on at a Presidency session without a quorum. Cvijanović said that the Chairman of the Presidency of BiH, Denis Bećirović, who proposed this decision, carried out lawlessness, and that constitutional and procedural rules were violated multiple times during the Presidency session.