Budget for this year being finalized, money for CIK for elections not yet transferred

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - BiH Minister of Finance Vjekoslav Bevanda confirmed today after the session of the BiH Council of Ministers that the Budget of Institutions for 2020 is being finalized, and that additional negotiations are underway with almost a hundred budget users.

After the first proposal of the Budget for 2020 was sent to the BiH Presidency at the end of April, it was returned to the Ministry of Finance to be adapted to the conditions of the pandemic.

Bevanda points out that this is a technical issue and should not be politicized. Earlier, the Chairman of the BiH Council of Ministers, Zoran Tegeltija, announced that the budget would be adopted by May 31, but the new proposal has not yet gone to the BiH Presidency. An additional problem with the delay in adopting the Budget is the financing of the Local Elections, i.e., the transfer of money to the Central Election Commission. Due to a lack of funds, the CIK could not start with the necessary procedures that require additional engagement of people and material-technical resources. The CIK made a decision that the elections, instead of October 4, will be held on November 15, which was met with disapproval from some political parties because they fear that the ultimate intention is for the elections not to be held.

Although Tegeltija said that the money for the CIK is not a problem and that it can be transferred from other sources and returned after the adoption of the Budget, this has not happened yet.