Between Nikšić and Šarović: Will DF and SBB be blind executors of SDA policy

Written by: Amina Čorbo-Zećo

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The Joint Commission for Supervision of the Intelligence-Security Agency of BiH from the House of Peoples of the Parliamentary Assembly of BiH has elected Munib Jusufović, Asim Sarajlić, Nikola Špirić, Sredoje Nović, Marina Pendeš and Bariša Čolak. 
Špirić was removed from the position of head of the Commission for Supervision of the Intelligence-Security Agency of BiH in July 2017 due to illegal activities, for sending a false document to OSA even though the Commission never adopted such a document. Incidentally, Nikola Špirić's son works at OSA. 

In accordance with the established proposal from the House of Representatives of the Parliamentary Assembly of BiH, Safet Softić, Nenad Stevandić, Predrag Kožul, Nermin Nikšić, Mirko Šarović and Zlatan Begić should be appointed to this Commission tomorrow.
Among them, the chairperson of the Joint Commission for Supervision of the Intelligence-Security Agency of BiH will also be elected, and the first man of the Commission will be chosen between Nermin Nikšić (SDP) and Mirko Šarović (SDS). 

Members of the Commission are nominated in accordance with the principle of proportional representation of political parties in the House of Representatives. All three constituent peoples are represented in the Commission, and by law it is chaired by one of the opposition representatives, which in this case are Nikšić and Šarović. 

As sources from Patria reveal, Mirsad Kukić was also proposed for the Commission, but the proposal was withdrawn, and the name of Mirko Šarović was accepted, because SDA wants someone who is not a Bosniak as chairperson, given that they want to keep Osman Mehmedagić as director of OSA, although there are no legal obstacles for the chairperson of the Commission to be from the same constituent people as the director of OSA.

It will be interesting to see the voting of SBB and DF representatives tomorrow. How state-building will they be, or are they truly just blind passengers in implementing SDA policy. The silence regarding the fact that the leadership of the Intelligence-Security Agency of BiH has expired, despite the appointment of a new Council of Ministers of BiH, proves that a plan has been hatched. Now they just need to lay their cards on the table. The mandate of the General Director of the Intelligence-Security Agency (OSA) of BiH, Osman Mehmedagić, whose diploma has been annulled and whose other diplomas are questionable, expired on November 19, 2019, but he is still at the head of OSA.

It is known that Bakir Izetbegović, the leader of SDA, during negotiations with coalition partners HDZ and SNSD, demanded that two positions remain untouched: that of his wife Sebija Izetbegović – director of KCUS, and the position of OSA director Osman Mehmedagić.

Although SNSD announced that they would not support the appointment of Osman Mehmedagić as director of OSA BiH because that agency, as they said, worked on destabilizing the RS entity, they broke that promise and apparently tacitly gave this function to SDA.

Proof of this is also the silence of Zoran Tegeltija (SNSD), whom we asked on December 25 what he would do about this issue, since he is directly responsible by function for appointing the director of OSA. We have not received an answer to this day. They are also silent in the Presidency of BiH, to whom the same letter was sent, but there is no response. 

Fahrudin Radončić (SBB) and Željko Komšić (DF) are silent. They are partners of Izetbegović and others, but they were also the loudest in criticizing Mehmedagić's work, especially a reaction was expected from Radončić, the current Minister of Security of BiH. He previously said that the best candidate would be chosen for this position.

How much SDA cares about the state is easy to conclude from their attitude towards this important institution, because for the sake of one man they have brought the legitimacy of this function into question. Radončić is the one who swears by legality and legitimacy in work, so it is unclear how he does not seek a solution to this problem. 

If SDA, HDZ and SNSD, as well as DF and SBB, have decided that Mehmedagić should remain in the position of OSA director, they will support the appointment of Šarović as chairperson of the Commission tomorrow. As was whispered in the Parliament of BiH today, the appointment of Šarović allows SDA to manipulate both SNSD and the coalition, because they can always change Milorad Dodik's parties from the Alliance for Change. Especially now that the appointment of Mladen Božović as Deputy Minister for Human Rights and Refugees is in question.