No agreement on new coalition: Two Trojkas and HDZ agreed to meet again on April 10 in Banja Luka

(Patria) - A meeting was held in Sarajevo today where representatives of HDZ BiH, Trojka (SDP, NiP, and NS), and the opposition from RS (SDS, PDP, and For Justice and Order) discussed the establishment of a new government at the state level.

As stated at the press conference following its conclusion, an agreement was reached to meet again on April 10 in Banja Luka.

SDP BiH President Nermin Nikšić said that before this meeting, Trojka met with representatives of NES and the Naprijed party, and the BiH Initiative - Kasumović Fuad.

At that meeting, Nikšić added, an agreement on joint action was reached, which will be presented only after party bodies approve it by Friday, except for the bodies of SDP and Our Party, which have already done so.

Nikšić then focused on the "main meeting", the one with HDZ and the opposition from RS, which was also attended by representatives of NES and the Naprijed party.

- We presented our views, positions, and priorities. Everyone is united regarding the importance of BiH's European path, the adoption of the remaining two laws, on the HJPC of BiH and the Court of BiH. HDZ is pushing and prioritizing the adoption of the Election Law. We had our priorities, the people from RS had theirs.


Nermin Nikšić (Photo: Patria)

We agreed to meet again on April 10, next Thursday, in the same format in Banja Luka, hosted by PDP and Draško Stanivuković, where we should operationalize this a bit - Nikšić pointed out.

It was also agreed, he adds, that the groups should also prepare priorities, perhaps the basic elements for an agreement that should be the basis for further activities after it is harmonized.

He also stated that they are aware that SNSD, which is supposed to go into opposition, will try to block, just as it did today in the House of Peoples of the BiH Parliament.

- But we will try to resolve the issue of appointing the BiH Minister of Security through these agreements, which would also help resolve the issue of blockades in the Council of Ministers of BiH - Nikšić emphasizes.

He also notes that they discussed, but did not formalize, the proposal of Trojka MPs for Nebojša Vukanović to be a candidate for Minister of Security, but that they must offer him as a coalition proposal.

- The condition is that the coalition agrees on some kind of agreement - Nikšić added.

Answering journalists' questions about whether the Election Law is a condition of HDZ BiH, he replied that the positions are clear and unchanged, and that, when it comes to SDP and the Election Law, it is not enough to implement only the decisions of the Constitutional Court of BiH, but also the judgments of the European Court of Human Rights.

Nikšić reiterated that there is a complete consensus among the parties regarding BiH's European path and that there were no conditions.

NiP President Elmedin Konaković also stated that there were no ultimatums today.

- The imperative was to express our commitment to peace, security, and stability. Perhaps that's why there were no ultimatums.

We don't have much time regarding the EU, we cannot miss the June deadline. Without that, everything will be in vain - Konaković said.


Elmedin Konaković (Photo: Patria)

He added that he would not support HDZ's proposal on the Election Law, because nothing that has not been agreed upon is voted for.

- The Council of Ministers is threatened by the actions of SNSD, it is most effective to appoint a Minister of Security and gain passage. This group has 23 votes in the House of Representatives.

The moment we have a Deputy Chairperson Krišto, that chain of control over Dodik and SNSD will break. That should be the first step.

Then we can very quickly appoint the director of SIPA and other institutions. This will also resolve the issue of blockades in the House of Peoples - Konaković claims.