HDZ as conductor directs, subservient Trojka listens: Vukoja's election reflects Čović's current power

Interview by: Delvin Kovač

The candidate of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) BiH for delegate to the House of Peoples of the BiH Parliament from February 2019, Marin Vukoja, could at the end of this month receive the long-awaited green light for the position of judge of the Constitutional Court of BiH.

The Social Democratic Party (SDP) BiH, Our Party (NIP), and Our Party (NS) have made every effort to eliminate all obstacles in their way to fulfill this wish of their coalition partner Dragan Čović (HDZ BiH).

The Trojka and HDZ BiH, in a way that suits the current parliamentary majority, amended the Rules of Procedure of the House of Representatives and eliminated unsuitable candidates and installed obedient cadres from the Election and Appointment Committee.

It remains for this very Committee, at its session scheduled for Monday, to forward a single name to the House of Representatives for the position of judge of the Constitutional Court of BiH – Marin Vukoja's name. And then the entire process of his appointment will still need to be completed by the parliamentary majority at the session of the House of Representatives on May 28.

Opposition representatives in the FBiH Parliament, in an interview with the Patria News Agency, criticized the Trojka's subservient attitude towards their coalition partners, warning that HDZ, with the tacit approval of the Trojka, is working to destabilize BiH and thus create prerequisites for what they have been dreaming of for decades.

Efendić: Bosniaks disenfranchised thanks to Trojka

The Deputy President of the SDA Club in the House of Representatives of the FBiH Parliament, Adnan Efendić, regarding the election of Marin Vukoja, states that HDZ BiH, with the help of the Trojka, has made all the necessary preparations for him to ultimately be elected to the Constitutional Court of BiH.

- They redrew the Election and Appointment Committee in such a way that some members "pulled out" – like colleague Damir Mašić – to try and clear their conscience, and on the other hand, those who will only blindly obey were brought in – Efendić told NAP.

He emphasizes that the conductor, HDZ BiH, continues to implement its policy, and the obedient Trojka listens, because that is the price of power, as they do not have the trust, or rather, the votes of the citizens.

- Whether Vukoja is a member of HDZ or not, it is superfluous to say or comment on anything, when the name of the mentioned candidate is on the certified list of HDZ for the election of delegates to the House of Peoples of the BiH Parliament. It is also a fact that the mentioned candidate does not have relevant experience in the judiciary – states Efendić.


Efendić: HDZ conducts, Trojka listens

He underlines that federal representatives are brutally denied their constitutionally established rights.

- The conductor HDZ has assessed that its partners are subservient, but not reliable, so it does not want to take risks, but will deny us as representatives the right to choose.

The Committee will choose, and the representatives from the Trojka, and their appendages, will be left to confirm it and once again show how they are willing to trample their own dignity, honor, and self-respect for the sake of staying in power.

Whether Marin Vukoja will be elected is a question for those who were the biggest critics in previous mandates, and who have now become slaves to their own lust for power.

The Croatian people in BiH should have equal rights, guaranteed by the Constitution, like all other peoples and citizens in BiH. However, we are now witnessing that Bosniaks, thanks to the Trojka and its satellites, have become disenfranchised and marginalized as a people in BiH – Efendić points out.

Kajan: Unconstitutional situation

DF representative Sanel Kajan says that, when it comes to the highest legislative body of the FBiH, tension has been noticeable since the beginning of the constitution of the new convocation of the Parliament and its working bodies.

- What is obvious is that HDZ has completely taken control of both houses of Parliament, which I consider unacceptable.

We currently have an unconstitutional situation, and that is the fact that HDZ cadres are presiding over the sessions of both houses of Parliament. In the House of Representatives, it is Mladen Bošković, and in the House of Peoples, Tomislav Martinović.

All HDZ proposals and initiatives pass, money is squandered according to HDZ's wishes, supervisory and management boards are elected according to HDZ's wishes. There are many examples. From what they are doing with the working bodies of the Parliament, appointments of members of the management of FBiH, agencies, institutes, new employments to the appointment of a judge of the Constitutional Court – Kajan notes.

As an example, he cited the Agromediteranski zavod FBiH, based in Mostar, where – out of 43 employees, 42 are Croats, including the Director of the Institute, and one Bosniak. A ratio of 42:1!

Kajan considers the fact that the Trojka blindly follows HDZ and fulfills all their wishes to be devastating.

- Everything that passes in parts of the country where HDZ is in power does not pass where they are not. Millions of money are flowing into West Herzegovina – Kajan emphasizes.

He adds that a session of the House of Representatives is scheduled for May 28, where HDZ and the team that has a majority in Parliament will confirm the names of their favored cadres.


Kajan: Millions of money are flowing into West Herzegovina

- Among other things, there will be the appointment of candidates for members of FERK, whose mandate should last five years. I must draw attention to the biographies that were sent to us for review.

If you look more closely, you will see that the biographies of these three proposed candidates are on an identical template. Look at the others. They are all different.

Is the information correct that Ms. Vesna Marić, a candidate for the Serbian commissioner, was a member of the Women's HDZ and is an employee of Elektroprijenos in Mostar?

Is the information correct that Ms. Pokrajčić is an HDZ cadre and that her son works at Elektroprivreda "HZHB"? Is that a conflict of interest – Kajan asked.

He also assessed the increase in the powers of the Energy Regulatory Commission in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina as important in this entire story.

- So, is the Trojka handing over FERK to HDZ, which is responsible for regulating the electricity, gas, oil, and renewable energy markets? I remind you that decisions in FERK are made by a majority vote, which means that two members from HDZ can outvote the SDP member of the Commission.

Most likely, they will finally succeed in their intention to install Marin Vukoja as a judge of the Constitutional Court, whom many directly associate with HDZ, given the fact that he was also their candidate in the elections.

HDZ, with the tacit approval of the Trojka, is working to destabilize this country, squandering its resources, dividing institutions, wanting parallel public companies, media... creating prerequisites for what they have been dreaming of for decades – Kajan added in an interview with NAP.