Has the 'Trojka' grown tired of governing in KS: Numerous processes stalled, more problems, less money

By Amra Vrabac

For some time now, certain processes have been stalled in Sarajevo Canton, where the 'Trojka' parties SDP, People and Justice, and Our Party hold power. If we were to analyze, a certain decline has occurred after the presidents of these parties took over functions at the FBiH and BiH Council of Ministers levels.

The last session of the KS Assembly was held on April 17, where Mladen Pandurević was confirmed as the Minister of Communal Economy, Infrastructure, Construction, Spatial Planning, and Environmental Protection, following the dismissal of the previous minister, Bojan Bošnjak, on March 14. As part of Sarajevo Canton Days, a ceremonial session was held at the National Theatre where awards were presented, but according to the official website of the KS Assembly, the last session was held on March 28. However, that is now a matter for the service responsible for content and information on the official website of the KS Assembly.

It took the 'Trojka' parties a long time to agree on who to appoint to this position, especially after the previous minister was arrested.

The session where Pandurević was confirmed as minister was held just a few days after the KS Minister of Science, Higher Education, and Youth, Adna Mesihović, was arrested for abuse of office in connection with questionable hirings.

The dismissal of Bošnjak was awaited for more than three months, even though he was in custody the entire time (November-February). When his custody was lifted, and certain measures prohibiting him from performing his duties and entering the KS Government building were imposed, the KS Prime Minister Nihad Uk finally proposed the dismissal, which was voted on March 14. During that period, the ministry was managed by other ministers from the KS Government, first Adnan Šteta (transportation), and then Omer Osmanović (veteran affairs).

While awaiting the decision of the Municipal Court in Sarajevo regarding the extension of Mesihović's custody, Uk stated that he would likely initiate her dismissal if her custody was extended or if measures prohibiting her from performing her duties were imposed. Some time later that day, the Municipal Court issued a decision extending Mesihović's and Ibrahim Obhođaš's custody for another two months.

If he sticks to his word, Uk should initiate Mesihović's dismissal as early as next week.

However, with this Government, anything is possible, including allowing this minister to receive a salary while in custody.

Prime Minister Uk himself confirmed during his appearance on BHT that processes in the Government had slowed down after the arrest of ministers (Bošnjak, Mesihović, Pavić-Pečenković), and that now "ministers are being overly cautious."

One of this Government's unfinished projects is the unpaid subsidy differences for young people who applied and were approved in the 2023 public call for the purchase of their first property. Young people received 4,816 KM each, and according to a conclusion adopted by the KS Assembly, they were supposed to receive the difference up to the promised 10,000 KM. 1,142 applicants met the criteria in that public call. Money was paid to about 1,000 of them, and later, in agreement with Adnan Šteta, who was then heading the ministry, payment was enabled for another 104 applicants. However, it is evident that there is no money in the KS budget, and it is questionable how the money for the 2023 public call will be paid from the 2025 budget. Precisely because of these problems, there was no public call for 2024, and it is questionable whether there will be one this year. The budget allocated 500,000 KM for this purpose. However, only to pay the difference for these 1,140 applicants, another 5 million KM is needed. According to Patria's information, this public call is under investigation, so it is evident that applicants will wait some time for their subsidies.

Uk's admission of a liquidity problem with the budget and the payment of regular salaries for budget users does not inspire confidence that this government knows what it is doing. It is questionable what will have to be put on hold because there is simply no money, even though a budget of 1.88 billion KM was adopted at the end of March. This unrealistic budget was precisely what caused issues for the KS Minister of Finance, Afan Kalamujić, who initially refused to support it at the KS Government session, only doing so after certain corrections.

Salaries for April have not yet been paid to budget users, and it is expected that this will happen at the beginning of the new working week.

Due to the situation in public cantonal utility companies, the KS Government will approve changes to service prices, meaning water, waste disposal, and funeral services will become more expensive. As the young prime minister would say, since the gym and cable TV have become more expensive, why shouldn't water too.

Election of the Mayor of Sarajevo also stalled

In addition to the KS Government, where the 'Trojka' parties are already showing signs of fatigue from governing, processes have also been stalled at the City of Sarajevo level.

Although the 'Trojka' parties have a majority in the City Council for the election of the mayor, the constitutive session of the City Council is being maximally postponed. Thus, a meeting to discuss and agree on a date for the constitutive session and the election of the mayor has only been scheduled for May 13.

The 'Trojka' parties agreed before the Local Elections in October 2024 that the mayor would be nominated by People and Justice, but that party has not yet made a final decision.

The current head of the City of Sarajevo is Predrag Puharić, who replaced Benjamina Karić after she took over as the mayor of Novi Sarajevo. In the new convocation, Puharić is expected to be appointed deputy mayor, and the other deputy mayor position will be filled by a candidate from Our Party, as was the case in the current convocation.

NIP still has a dilemma between Samir Avdić, who was deputy mayor of Sarajevo for a time and is now a councilor in Novi Sarajevo, and Mirza Selimbegović, who was pushed into Avdić's position as deputy mayor after losing the election for mayor of Novi Grad municipality.

While Avdić was once a minister in the KS Government, a basketball representative, and known to the wider public, Selimbegović has so far only been a councilor in Novi Grad, making it unclear what dilemma NIP faces regarding who should lead and represent the City of Sarajevo.

Fatigue, ignorance, fear of investigations or arrests have crept into the ranks of the 'Trojka', and the mistrust that prevails among them is reflected in all processes in Sarajevo Canton. It seems that after six years in power, many have indeed grown tired, problems are increasing, and money is decreasing. It is time for them to wake up and work, or to leave...