No More Funds for Returnees in Both Entities: Bosniaks and Croats Ready to Block RS Budget

By: Ernad Metaj

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The parliamentary group Together for BiH today submitted amendments to the RS National Assembly's draft budget aimed at improving the position of Bosniak and Croat returnees to this entity. The amendments requested an increase in allocations for return support, as well as an increase in financial resources for the support of associations of Bosniak and Croat civilian war victims.

- So far, we have had a shameful attitude from the ruling majority and the RS Government towards these issues. It is illogical that the FBiH invests more funds to support Serb returnees in four municipalities than the RS Government allocates for the entire return process in the RS. This is an opportunity for them to show a minimum of goodwill so that there is no doubt that the authorities' activities are aimed at further cleansing this area of Bosniaks and Croats, Senad Bratić from the Together for BiH Club told Patria.

For the return of Bosniaks and Croats to the RS, an increase from 700,000 KM to 3.7 million is requested. The request for an increase is justified by the fact that only 30 percent of the expressed needs for sustainable return, infrastructure renewal, and housing stock have been met so far. Bratić says that the increased funds could be pooled with other institutions, which would result in significantly greater support for the return process, as well as the stay of Bosniaks and Croats in the RS.

- We also submitted an amendment to increase support for the return of Serbs to the FBiH by the same amount. The Federal Ministry of Displaced Persons and Refugees has helped Drvar, Glamoč, and Grahovo with four million marks, so we believe that the RS Government should show the same, if not greater, interest in this issue, Bratić said.

An increase of 200,000 KM each was requested for the financing of Merhamet and associations of civilian war victims, as the scope of work of these associations has increased. The reason is the growing number of socially vulnerable people, exacerbated by the rising prices of basic foodstuffs.

- Our support for the budget, as well as the attitude of the Bosniak and Croat Caucus in the Council of Peoples, will depend on the majority's response to these amendments. If our amendments are not accepted, the realistic option is to seek protection of the vital national interest of Bosniaks and Croats, says Bratić.

In previous years, the RS authorities have sometimes supported the requests of the Together for BiH Club, only to later betray their trust by reducing the adopted figures through budget rebalancing. In addition, it is always questionable to what extent the RS Government will fulfill its obligations.