Dodik between NATO and Tegeltija: Komšić and Džaferović blocking the appointment of the designate

SARAJEVO, (Patria) – The Chairman of the Council of Ministers of BiH is appointed by the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and then the further procedure is carried out by the Commission for the Election of the Council of Ministers of BiH and finally confirmed by the House of Representatives of the Parliamentary Assembly of BiH. Although the name of the potential designate for the composition of the Council of Ministers of BiH (Zoran Tegeltija), nominated by Milorad Dodik's SNSD, has been known for a long time, and the portfolios have been divided between SNSD, HDZ BiH and SDA, the new convocation of the Council of Ministers is still pending. 

Dodik himself complained about the complicated procedure for electing the designate, i.e., the Chairman of the Council of Ministers of BiH, knowing that the Presidency of BiH is the first link in the chain of appointments to that position. After Dodik stated that he does not accept BiH's NATO path, i.e., submitting the first Annual National Program (ANP) to Brussels, which was requested from BiH last year, the process of appointing the designate for the composition of the Council of Ministers of BiH was also stalled.

Member of the Presidency of BiH Željko Komšić, chairman of DF, said on Friday for Face TV that the ANP should be sent to Brussels first, and then there will be agreement on the designate. 

Bakir Izetbegović, chairman of SDA, gave a similar statement to FTV, saying that he has confidence in Mr. Džaferović and Mr. Komšić, so he thinks a solution will be found there. 

Dodik's proposal for BiH to abandon the MAP and return to the IPAP (a program that Serbia has with NATO) is not acceptable to Komšić, Izetbegović, or Čović. 

As far as I am concerned, when it comes to NATO, i.e., MAP, I think we have made all the decisions, solutions, transformations, and reorganizations that were necessary. I see no reason why we should give any motive to anyone today, including the representatives of SNSD, to open these issues. Let's sit down and create a dynamic to do something, instead of constantly looking back,” Čović said in an interview for “Jedan” on BHT.

Although the Commission for the Election of the Council of Ministers was supposed to be constituted in December, this never happened, given that SNSD, HDZ, and SDA did not have a majority to elect the chairman, the first and second deputy chairmen of the Commission. Given that SDA signed a coalition agreement with DF and SBB, the necessary majority now exists. 

Members of the Commission are: Halid Genjac from SDA, Staša Košarac from SNSD, Predrag Kožul from HDZ BiH, Branislav Borenović from PDP, Dženan Đonlagić from DF, Saša Magazinović from SDP BiH, Dragan Mektić from SDS, Predrag Kojović from Naša stranka, Edita Đapo from SBB, Jakov Galić from SP, Nenad Nešić from DNS, Jasmin Emrić from A-SDA, Mirsad Kukić from PDA, and Aida Baručija from Nezavisni blok.