Do We Have a Plan for Coronavirus and Migrants: Tegeltija and Radončić Seemingly Weren't at the Same Session

By Amina Čorbo-Zećo

---

Coronavirus has officially arrived in BiH, there are thousands of migrants already in our country, and tens of thousands more are preparing to enter Bosnia and Herzegovina, a country where the state government either doesn't understand or doesn't grasp the seriousness of the situation.

Today's extraordinary session of the Council of Ministers confirmed the justified fear. Those who lead us have no idea how or in what way to respond to the crisis. For now, they communicate perfectly through the media; together, they are not succeeding!

The blockade of the state government is evidenced by the failure to adopt a decision on temporary financing; the existing Decision on temporary financing of BiH institutions and BiH's international obligations for the period April-June 2020 is in effect until the end of March.

Fahrudin Radončić, Minister of Security, stated that due to the non-adoption of this decision, additional funds cannot be found for border police officers, but soon after, the Chairman of the Council of Ministers, Zoran Tegeltija, announced that Minister Radončić's statement is incorrect because the Decision on temporary financing cannot provide a larger amount of funds than in the previous period. 

Not even a day has passed, and they were sitting at the same table, and the denials have begun!

We don't know who Tegeltija is comforting, himself or the public, by saying that SNSD ministers believe there is no need to adopt a new decision on temporary financing, but rather that the Budget for 2020 needs to be adopted. Because, as far as I am informed, his boss Milorad Dodik has blocked everything concerning the state.

And then those who create blockades call on all political actors in BiH to do everything necessary for the Budget to be adopted as soon as possible. How do they intend to do that when they block everything that can be blocked?