Forto of the Čović family regrets that the 'law for the son-in-law' did not pass, but there is no new competition for the director of BHANSA either

It was painful yesterday to listen to the Minister of Transport and Communications, Edin Forto, as he answered questions from delegate Džemal Smajić at the session of the House of Peoples of the BiH Parliamentary Assembly about whether a new competition for the director of BHANSA would be announced, given that Davorin Primorac's term in that position has expired. Primorac is the son-in-law of Dragan Čović and has been in the director position for 11 years. His term expired in March of this year.

In his response, Forto first attacked Smajić for speaking untruths, then carefully chose his words when speaking about the new competition, shifting all responsibility to the BiH Council of Ministers, even though the BHANSA Council, headed by Forto's cabinet chief Sanja Škuletić-Malagić, is responsible for conducting the competition and proposing the appointment of the director to the BiH Council of Ministers. Even today, public competitions announced by the BHANSA Council can be found on the BHANSA website.

In his delegate question, Smajić listed all the leadership positions under Edin Forto's purview, and among the six positions, there is not a single Bosniak. He asked Forto whether the BHANSA Council would announce a competition and whether he believes the next director should be a Bosniak to reduce the imbalance at the expense of Bosniaks in leadership positions.

Forto stepped up to the podium and stated that "he did not know this would go this way" and only answered part of the questions posed.

He attempted to shift responsibility from the BHANSA Council to the BiH Council of Ministers, even though the members of the Management Board are appointed by the BiH Council of Ministers based on a public competition and on the proposal of the Agency Council. Thus, the public competition in 2020 was announced by the Agency Council, as was the last one in June 2023 for the deputy director.

Forto tried to explain that everything is stalled in the BiH Council of Ministers, which has not yet considered the information from the BHANSA Council regarding the expiration of the terms of the Management Board members.

"The BiH Council of Ministers announces the competition and the Council of Ministers appoints," Forto said, adding that the BHANSA Council requested a position from the BiH Council of Ministers.

However, for months, that request has been gathering dust in the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers, headed by HDZ appointee Robert Vidović. Although the published agenda for the session on June 3 included information on the expiration of the terms of Primorac and Džemail Ćiba, director of the Legislation Office, the session was postponed to June 11, and the agenda disappeared from the BiH Council of Ministers website. Until the BiH Council of Ministers adopts this information, public competitions cannot be conducted.

In a sorrowful tone, Forto said that one of the conclusions of the BHANSA Council was to announce a competition in accordance with the existing law, and that would be for a new director.

"In accordance with the law that I submitted to the procedure and which passed this house, unfortunately it did not pass the House of Representatives, there was the possibility of repeating the mandate, but nowhere did it say that it would be the same director because he would have to go through the entire procedure like any other candidate, and that procedure is with the BHANSA Council and then the competition procedure conducted by the BiH Council of Ministers," Forto said about the failed "law for the son-in-law."

Smajić told Forto that with his amendments to the BHANSA law, he wanted to permanently cement Davorin Primorac's director position.

Forto then left the session of the House of Peoples, and delegate Safet Softić (SDA) said that Forto showed unprecedented disrespect for this house. He reminded that Forto has appeared in this house only three times and that he tried to introduce "new democratic standards" by giving directors a lifetime mandate, telling him that it would be best if he no longer appeared in this house.