CEC will again ask the BiH Ministry of Finance for money for elections

SARAJevo, (Patria) - The Central Election Commission of BiH hereby wishes to inform the public in Bosnia and Herzegovina that the Ministry of Finance and Treasury of BiH has not approved the operational/dynamic plan of the Central Election Commission of BiH which included the special purpose program "General Elections".

As is known, the Council of Ministers of BiH, at the proposal of the Ministry of Finance and Treasury, adopted the Decision on Temporary Financing of BiH Institutions and International Obligations of Bosnia and Herzegovina for the period January - March 2022.

Funds in the amount of 249,000,000 KM have been approved for the financing of BiH institutions during this period, which represents 1/4 of the funds approved for the financing of institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina in accordance with the Law on the Budget of Institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina and International Obligations of BiH for 2020. The aforementioned decision stipulates that the allocation of expenditures by budget users in the first quarter of 2022 will be made based on the budget of users established in the Law on the Budget of Institutions of BiH and International Obligations of BiH for 2020 in amounts that enable the performance of activities within the legally defined competencies of budget users.

In accordance with the aforementioned Decision, the Ministry of Finance and Treasury of BiH sent the Central Election Commission of BiH an Instruction for the preparation of an operational/dynamic plan in accordance with the Decision on Temporary Financing of BiH Institutions and International Obligations of Bosnia and Herzegovina for the period January - March 2022, which indicates that the total amount of operational budgets for the first quarter of 2022 cannot exceed 1/4 of the funds adopted in the Law on the Budget of Institutions of BiH and International Obligations of BiH for 2020 ("Official Gazette of BiH" no. 46/20).

The aforementioned instruction states that budget users cannot start new or expanded programs and activities until they are approved in the Budget of Institutions of BiH and International Obligations of BiH for 2022.

In accordance with the aforementioned instruction, and since this case does not involve new or expanded programs and activities of the institution, but rather the regular activities of the Central Election Commission of BiH for the purpose of organizing and implementing elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina in election years, and since these are funds intended for carrying out activities within the legally defined competencies of the institution, the Central Election Commission of BiH submitted the operational/dynamic plan of the Central Election Commission of BiH for the first quarter of 2022 in the amount of 1,811,700.00 KM, which represents 1/4 of the funds approved for the Central Election Commission of BiH in the Law on the Budget of Institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina and International Obligations of Bosnia and Herzegovina for 2020.

These funds are allocated to direct consumption in the amount of 757,200.00 KM, and to a special purpose program intended for the implementation of elections, in the amount of 1,054,500.00 KM, which represents 1/4 of the funds approved for the Central Election Commission of BiH in the Law on the Budget of Institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina and International Obligations of Bosnia and Herzegovina for 2020, in the part relating to the special purpose program that related to the implementation of elections in 2020.

The Ministry of Finance and Treasury of BiH did not approve the operational/dynamic plan of the Central Election Commission of BiH which included the special purpose program "General Elections", interpreting that this case involves a "new special purpose program", which, in the opinion of the Central Election Commission of BiH, cannot be the case under any circumstances.

Accordingly, the Collegium of the Central Election Commission of BiH has instructed the Secretariat of the CEC BiH to prepare a new operational/dynamic plan, which will be submitted to the Ministry of Finance and Treasury of BiH, as well as for the information of the members of the Council of Ministers of BiH, the Office of the High Representative in BiH, the Peace Implementation Council, the EU Delegation to BiH and the OSCE Mission to BiH.