Heated debate on procedure: South Interconnection Law under urgent procedure and as first agenda item

(Patria) - The House of Peoples of the FBiH Parliament has begun its session in Sarajevo, convened at the initiative of the Bosniak Caucus.

Muamer Zukić, president of the Bosniak Caucus, stated at the beginning of the session that they unanimously adopted a conclusion to position the Bill on the South Interconnection Gas Pipeline as the first agenda item, explaining that it is a strategically important law for which today's session was initiated.

Damir Džeba, president of the Croat Caucus, stated that he believes the agenda should remain as proposed, and that the South Interconnection could not be the first item because they have the verification of mandates, adding that he would like the "urgency of the procedure" to be taken into account.

Zukić explained the urgency of the procedure, stating there are several reasons for it.

"Here, it is more formally set as an urgent procedure. This topic and everything surrounding it has been ongoing for a very long time. If anything has passed all the filters required by the regular procedure, it is this law, and we believe it is justified to be treated under an urgent procedure," Zukić clarified.

Haris Zahiragić stated that the Legislative and Legal Affairs Committee has reviewed both the urgency and the law, and that it should be discussed when that item is on the agenda and during the discussion.

Džeba referred to the Rules of Procedure, stating that laws generally cannot be passed under an urgent procedure. He added that the Rules of Procedure state that if the Government is not the proposer, the House of Peoples requests an opinion from the FBiH Government on that proposal.

Zahiragić, as president of the Legislative and Legal Affairs Committee, stated that the non-adoption of the aforementioned law would cause damage, and that the Law opens the way for BiH to sign an agreement on the South Interconnection with the Republic of Croatia, thereby enabling the diversification of gas supply.

"Federation should not delay BiH for a single day longer in aligning its foreign policy with the European Union in agreement with Croatia," Zahiragić emphasized.

Aljoša Čampara clarified that this issue is regulated in the Rules of Procedure, which state that the House of Peoples decides on the urgent procedure. As he explained, he believes that the formal-legal requirements have been met for the House of Peoples to decide on the procedure of the law.

Džeba replied that he agrees on the importance of the project, but that procedures must be respected and that he would have preferred the Government and the relevant minister to be the project holders. Regarding the entire matter and urgency, there must be no procedural errors.

Finally, the House of Peoples of the FBiH voted to consider the Bill on the South Interconnection as the second item, after the verification of mandates, with 50 delegates voting in favor. Previously, it was adopted that the law be considered under an urgent procedure.

The proposal of the FBiH Government to include the Draft Law on Fiscalization as the fifth item on the agenda also received support.

The agenda for today's session was adopted with 51 votes in favor and 17 abstentions.

Instead of delegate Iva Raguž, Ivana Buntić Jovanović took over the mandate.