Mehmedović's Initiative: Discrimination against Bosniaks in appointing BiH institution heads must stop

(Patria) - Member of the House of Representatives of the BiH Parliament, Šemsudin Mehmedović, has sent an initiative to the Council of Ministers to stop the discrimination of Bosniaks in institutions.

Mehmedović warned that the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina, in its current term, is brutally discriminating against Bosniaks in the appointment of heads of Bosnia and Herzegovina institutions, which is contrary to the Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina and state laws.

In this regard, Mehmedović has sent an initiative to the Council of Ministers requesting that future appointments rectify the imbalance of Bosniaks and ensure their appropriate ethnic representation of 50% in the appointment of all heads of institutions for which proportional representation has been established in accordance with the last census in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Furthermore, Mehmedović announces that, in his capacity as a state representative, he will initiate the filing of a collective lawsuit with the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina, in accordance with Article 17 of the Law on Prohibition of Discrimination, seeking a ruling from the Court prohibiting the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina from further appointing heads
who continuously violate the rights of Bosniaks to equal treatment and ordering them to make appointments of institution heads in a way that eliminates discrimination against Bosniaks and all consequences of illegal appointments concerning Bosniaks as a constituent people.

The reason for submitting the initiative and filing the collective lawsuit are alarming data indicating that the Council of Ministers, in its current term, has appointed only three Bosniaks out of 19 heads of institutions, even though these are positions for which appointments should have been made in accordance with the proportional ethnic structure in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Therefore, there should have been 50% Bosniaks. Furthermore, contrary to the state Constitution and laws, eight Serbs and eight Croats have been appointed as heads of institutions in the same term.

"It is indisputable that the Council of Ministers has grossly discriminated against one constituent people - Bosniaks, solely because they are ethnically Bosniaks. The rule of law is a fundamental value of all democratic states and the European Union, and it should be the same in Bosnia and Herzegovina. All actions and measures must be taken to return the appointments of institution heads
to constitutional and legal frameworks, and to stop the discrimination of Bosniaks in
the institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina," stated Mehmedović.