Čović continues his plans: SBB and SDA allowed national division of JP Autoceste

Since the appointment of the new management of JP Autoceste FBiH in November 2015, there has been a noticeable slowdown in highway construction, and apart from the construction of the Corridor Vc section Klopče - Pečuj (Donja Gračanica), there are no significant projects, writes the Patria News Agency.

Experts in this company state that the new Management, composed of cadres from SBB, HDZ BiH, and SDA, are focused on national division instead of building road infrastructure.

Thus, last week, daily newspapers Večernji list and Dnevni avaz published a public call for the procurement of office spaces in Mostar, which should be located no more than 100 meters from Kralja Zvonimira Street. The advertisement was published on August 12 and 13, and is open until August 18.

At the same time, JP Autoceste FBiH canceled the office space rental agreement with BH Telecom and BH Pošta, in whose premises in Fejićeva Street the headquarters of JP Autoceste was previously located.

Patria agency sources from this company claim that this is how the national division of the company begins.

- The division of office space is only the first step towards dividing the entire company on a national basis. Recently, employees of JP Autoceste of Croatian nationality who worked in offices in the eastern part of Mostar moved into new premises of JP Autoceste located on the right bank of the Neretva, while Bosniaks remained. However, the space on the west side is apparently insufficient to accommodate all employees of Croatian nationality, which is why the public call was issued - says our source.

We wanted to find out more details from the director of Autoceste FBiH, Đenan Salčin (SBB), but he did not answer the calls from Patria agency journalists.

As a Patria source reveals, after the Croats move out of the company headquarters, there will be surplus space in the existing building, which is why the current rental agreement was canceled (Fejićeva Street), and the director of Autoceste is looking for a new, smaller space in the eastern part of Mostar, allegedly in the premises of the Islamic Community.

- This will lead to the physically dividing of what was until yesterday a successful multinational company into two parts along national lines, which is just a prelude. Within the sectors headed by executive directors from the Croatian people (HDZ BiH), employees from Sarajevo of Croatian nationality are already being moved to Mostar and vice versa, and only employees of Croatian nationality are being appointed to middle management - adds our source.

Given that parallel structures are being created within this company, it is clear that this is an order from Dragan Čović, the leader of HDZ BiH. It is surprising that the leaders of the "all-Bosniak" coalition, Bakir Izetbegović (SDA) and Fahrudin Radončić (SBB), whose cadres are also in this company (two executive directors and the general director), have so easily yielded to Čović's wishes.

Even the awarding of scholarships to gifted students was on hold until a targeted number of students of Croatian nationality was on the list.

Blockades have been ongoing for months

The blockade of Autoceste FBiH's operations lasted from November 2015, and the appointment of director Saličin was pending from March 2016 due to the dispute between SDA and HDZ BiH over one executive director position. The balance of power among executive directors is 2:2, with acting executive directors being Ivica Ćurić (acting executive director for economic and financial affairs - HDZ BiH), Marin Jelčić (acting executive director for management and maintenance - HDZ BiH), Jasmin Bučo (acting executive director for design and construction - SDA), and Adem Zolj (acting executive director for general, personnel, and legal affairs - SDA).

According to available data, HDZ cadres in the Management of Autoceste lack experience in the construction sector. Ivica Ćurić, according to media reports, is a "failed tycoon from Žepče," and also served as the Minister of Labor, Social Policy, and Refugees in the Government of Zenica-Doboj Canton, and his company "NBI Ćurić" owes more than 6.6 million KM in taxes to the state.

Marin Jelčić (HDZ BiH) worked at Croatia osiguranje and previously had no management experience. Jelčić is also a member of the Main Board of HDZ BiH Mostar.

On the other hand, Bučo and Zolj have many years of experience in this sector. Bučo also served as the director of Autoceste, and Zolj headed the Directorate of Roads of KS.