Damir Mašić's amendment without support from parliamentarians: Party obedience more important than child protection

Deputies of the House of Representatives of the FBiH Parliament adopted amendments to the Law on Pardons with 55 votes in favor, according to which it remains in force that the President of FBiH can pardon all prisoners, except for those convicted of war crimes and genocide, while 29 deputies voted against and four abstained, writes the BiH news agency Patria.

However, before the adoption of the law, the deputies opened a debate, and the amendment proposed by deputy Damir Mašić (SDP) did not receive the support of the parliamentary majority.

The amendment requested that persons convicted of criminal offenses such as "terrorism, rape, unauthorized production and trafficking of narcotic drugs, sexual intercourse with a child, indecent acts, satisfying lust in front of a child or minor, exploitation of a child or minor for pornography, and familiarizing a child with pornography" also be excluded from pardons.

It is devastating, as Mašić wrote on Twitter, that during the electronic vote there were 45 votes in favor, and in the individual vote, 37.

- Unfortunately, some did not dare to vote publicly. We continue to fight until there are 50 hands - Mašić wrote.

Although no one was against the amendment during the debate, and some even spoke affirmatively about it, they voted otherwise. The question arises whether party obedience is more important than the protection of children and society as a whole.

Deputies from SDP, DF, Naša stranka, HDZ 1990, SBiH, and BPS, as well as three deputies from SDA, voted in favor of the amendment.

All deputies from HDZ voted against the amendment, most deputies from SDA, while deputies from SBB abstained.

Mašić also wrote on his Twitter profile that the amendment proposed what "should probably not be controversial to anyone alive on the planet".