CCI sends letter to Assembly representatives of CS: Support constitutional reforms

Before the representatives of the Assembly of CS tomorrow will be the Proposal of Amendments L to LVII to the Constitution of Sarajevo Canton, as well as the Proposal of a Decision on the Proclamation of Amendments L to LVII to the Constitution of Sarajevo Canton. In the past period, public debates on the amendments to the Constitution were held, and the Centers for Civic Initiatives sent an open letter to the representatives, reports the Patria agency.

- Believing in progress and a better life for the citizens of Sarajevo, as well as the citizens of the entire Bosnia and Herzegovina, committed to the principles of the rule of law, decentralization, subsidiarity and good governance, we take this opportunity to express the principled support of the Centers for Civic Initiatives (CCI) for the adoption of amendments to the Constitution of Sarajevo Canton (CS).

The necessity of reforming the Constitution of Sarajevo Canton is primarily reflected in the need to implement the decisions of the Constitutional Court of the FBiH, which in 17 cases established violations of the rights and competencies of local self-government units in the area of Sarajevo Canton, and unequivocally determined a conflict of jurisdiction between the Canton, the City and the municipalities. By adopting the amendments, in addition to formally implementing the decisions of the Constitutional Court of the FBiH, the authorities in CS would confirm their commitment to the institutional order and the rule of law. We emphasize the importance of the simultaneous implementation of a large number of judgments of the Constitutional Court, in times of frequent and dangerous denial of the authority of the highest judicial instances in the state.

Bearing the above in mind, we hope that this important reform will be understood as a common good for all citizens of Sarajevo Canton, that in such a decision there are no political winners or losers, and that it will receive unanimous support from the representatives. Failure to adopt or postponing this decision, given the overall political context and the upcoming election year, would mean postponing it for at least two years, which should not be in anyone's interest.

The reform of the Constitution of CS is a necessary foundation and prerequisite for the adoption of several important laws, the adoption of which will improve legislation on local self-government, clearly specify competencies, revenue distribution and, ultimately, contribute to improving the quality of services and the living standard of the citizens of Sarajevo. The future Law on Local Self-Government, Law on the Allocation of Public Revenues, Law on Property, amendments to the Statutes of the City and municipalities, will be based on the new constitutional amendments, so the first phase of the constitutional reform is a prerequisite for initiating a series of legislative projects and reforms at the local level.

Given the scope of the upcoming reforms, CCI will, with the support of the Swiss Government, provide broad logistical and expert support to the relevant ministries, the Government, the Assembly, and local self-government units in the practical implementation of the amendments, adoption and implementation of new laws, amendment of statutes, etc. Through the informational-educational campaign "Better Sarajevo", CCI will contribute to making the reforms inclusive, enabling broad citizen participation, and ensuring that the public interest, quality of services and citizen satisfaction are above all other priorities.

We hope that Sarajevo Canton, by adopting the constitutional amendments, will become a place increasingly recognizable as a center of good governance and responsible policy.