HDZ remained alone in its wishes for the Budget not to go through an urgent procedure

(Patria) - The House of Representatives of the Parliamentary Assembly of BiH is considering the request of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina at its session for the Proposal of the Law on the Budget of BiH Institutions and international obligations of BiH for 2020 to be considered under an urgent procedure.

Borjana Krišto (HDZ) said that the budget should be considered under a regular procedure, because the Presidency of BiH violated the Law on Financing, the Law on Budget, as they were not supposed to touch, intervene in what is not the competence of the Presidency of BiH as the proposer.

Zukan Helez (SDP) said that we are already deep into 2020 without a budget, and that the procedure proposed by HDZ is only because they no longer have control over the Central Election Commission.

"You are constantly blocking BiH wherever you can. This will not pass, you will remain alone," said Helez.

Predrag Kožul (HDZ) said that it was not necessary to pass the budget in this way, and that this derogates the commissions of the BiH Parliament.

"Election activities are ongoing. Certain tenders are also being issued. A budget passed under a regular procedure will not jeopardize the elections. I believe it is a very bad practice to adopt it urgently. This budget should have been considered under an abbreviated procedure, and we would at least create the semblance of a democratic process. This does not happen anywhere in the world where the opposition seeks to adopt the budget under an urgent procedure," said Kožul.

Saša Magazinović (SDP) noted that he does not remember exactly whether it was 2012 or 2013 when there were complications regarding the adoption of the budget, and then sometime after midnight they brought material claiming it was the Budget from the Presidency to parliament, claiming it was the correct document.

"There was a session in the morning. It went through an urgent procedure and that pile of papers, which an unidentified person claimed was the budget, was adopted because an agreement was reached. Hiding behind this, while actually aiming to postpone the elections, is unfair," said Magazinović.

Nikola Lovrinović (HDZ) said that their reasons regarding the procedure for adopting the Budget are clear, and that he would get double the number of votes if he were in the SDP. Magazinović replied that they wouldn't even accept him in the SDP.

Dženan Đonlagić (DF) said that no one in the hall can claim whether the election of CIK members is legal or not.

"It is known who can do that. We can discuss the CIK in 2027," said Đonlagić.

Alma Čolo (SDA) reminded that the Budget follows the basic legislative procedure and that it can be adopted urgently if there is a high degree of urgency.

"This House was supposed to adopt the Budget by November 15 last year. That is the main reason for it to go through an urgent procedure. Recalling some earlier practices are not legally based for requesting a different procedure," said Čolo.

Predrag Kojović (Naša stranka) emphasized that this Budget is of a service nature and that he will vote for the urgent procedure, because the most important thing for BiH is holding the Local Elections in November.