Urgently convene sessions of the House of Representatives and the House of Peoples of the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina

A group of representatives of the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina (PABiH) gathered around the informal Club for European Integration and Security Issues has submitted a press release to us, which we transmit in full.

„A group of representatives of the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina (PABiH), representatives of nine political parties gathered around the Club for European Integration and Security Issues, whose work is supported by the International Republican Institute (IRI), discussed at an online meeting held on April 1, 2020, urgent measures that the Parliament of Bosnia and Herzegovina should take in the fight against the expansion of the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, as well as ensuring support for the protection of the health of the population and accompanying measures to mitigate the devastating economic consequences of the pandemic. 

We thank the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina for their demonstrated willingness to contribute to combating the pandemic by adhering to prescribed prevention and protection measures, and to prevent the spread of panic and the creation of additional negative social tensions. We express special gratitude to all those who, in their work and volunteer capacity, are helping the population of Bosnia and Herzegovina. We are determined to show full personal and political readiness for urgent action in order to enable, through rapid adaptation of the legal framework, the urgent and much-needed procurement and import of medical equipment and sanitary materials, provide support for the survival of the economic sector, and solidaristically distribute the burden of the fight against the pandemic between the public and private sectors.

The priority task of both houses of the Parliamentary Assembly is to amend the Rules of Procedure of the House of Representatives and the Rules of Procedure of the House of Peoples, in order to allow attendance at sessions and decision-making either through online access, video link, or in another way. This would enable uninterrupted communication of both houses of the Parliamentary Assembly during the crisis, which the current rules of procedure do not foresee.

Therefore, we call on the collegiums of the houses of the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina to prepare and urgently convene sessions of the House of Representatives and the House of Peoples in the shortest possible time to amend and supplement the necessary laws in order to strengthen Bosnia and Herzegovina's readiness to respond to the current security and health-epidemiological situation.

We extend our sincere condolences to the families of the deceased. We wish a speedy recovery to all those who are ill, and for everyone else, personal protection and the protection of your loved ones remains a priority. Let us stay healthy, consolidate our strength in a period when patience and mutual trust are necessary. This time is a great test of our humanity and readiness to rise above political and party interests, guided solely by the interests of all citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina.“ 

Incidentally, the Club for European Integration and Security Issues of the PABiH consists of representatives: Saša Magazinović, Šemsudin Mehmedović, Jasmin Emrić, Aida Baručija, Edita Đapo, Dženan Đonlagić, Lazar Prodanović, Mirjana Marinković-Lepić and Branislav Borenović.