Forto accuses SDP and NIP of populism, Our Party outvoted after Konaković and Sadiković talks

By Amra Vrabac

The leaders of the Trojka parties, Elmedin Konaković, Nermin Nikšić, and Edin Forto, will hold a press conference today at the SDP premises. Although the topics of this conference have not been announced, Konaković is expected to deliver a monologue on everything and anything, as he usually does before journalists start asking questions.

However, this conference was scheduled yesterday afternoon after the Prime Minister Nihad Uk and two ministers from Our Party were outvoted in the Sarajevo Canton Government by the remaining ministers from SDP, NIP, and ZNG regarding an increase in the hourly wage for healthcare workers. Mass protests were held yesterday, and the Union's demand was an increase in the hourly wage between 3.30 and 3.70 KM. Uk had previously offered an hourly wage of 3.25, which was rejected.

The President of Our Party, Edin Forto, commented on this situation, and besides supporting Uk and the coalition partners' ministers, he called them populists.

"We will never become populists and distribute money before elections. Today (yesterday, author's note) we were outvoted. Coalition work is difficult, and the public should know who is who and judge based on the clear positions of all parties in the coalition. I congratulate Prime Minister Nihad Uk and the other two government members from Our Party on their brave stance. We are not afraid of unions or unpopular decisions. Healthcare workers are important, but patients are the most important," Forto wrote.

The head of the Sarajevo Canton Healthcare Workers' Union, Senad Sadiković, spoke by phone with Elmedin Konaković yesterday during the protest of several thousand workers, after which the Sarajevo Canton Government decided to increase the hourly wage. That conversation was broadcast last night on TVSA's Dnevnik.

Is it possible that Our Party also interpreted this as populism, thus refusing to participate in the agreement reached by Konaković? That's a question for Forto.

When the issue of closing the National and University Library of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the difficult financial situation was raised, for which certain representatives blamed the Minister of Higher Education Adna Mesihović (ZNG), SDP representative Samir Avdić announced a reconstruction of the Sarajevo Canton Government. A reconstruction had just occurred when the Party for BiH cadres were removed, agreed upon between Elmedin Konaković and Damir Marjanović.

Since taking office as the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Konaković has often stated that he has "no idea" what is happening in the Canton and does not deal with these issues, while yesterday's conversation with the head of the Union shows something completely opposite. Either Konaković does not trust his cadres at the Canton level or simply feels the need to show who is the boss.

The same happened in January of this year when the head of NIP supported young people who received the lowest subsidies for purchasing their first property since the project began, and joined them at protests.

To this day, the Sarajevo Canton Government has not found a solution for paying the additional part of the subsidies as voted by the Sarajevo Canton Assembly, with the abstention of Our Party representatives, and Prime Minister Uk's statements that there is no money has again led young people to protests scheduled for Saturday, September 21.

Young people have been paid subsidies in the amount of 4,800 KM instead of the promised 10,000 to 12,000 KM as stated in the public call.