Ademović's Office Issues Response: It Is Not the Chair Who Blocks, but Politics

(Patria) - In response to the article titled ČOVIĆ WITHOUT MERCY How those who brought Ademović to the position created a political hell for him, which concerns the mandate of the Chair of the House of Peoples of the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kemal Ademović, his office has issued a response.

"First of all, the claim that Chair Ademović 'did not manage,' that his chairmanship was 'one of the most contentious,' or that it was a 'complete blockade' represents the author's political stance, not a fact.

Such assessments are not supported by any relevant indicator of the House of Peoples' work. Official data from the Parliamentary Assembly of BiH indicate the opposite. In the current term 2022–2026, the House of Peoples has adopted a total of 37 laws to date, of which as many as 15 are from the European agenda. By comparison, in the previous term 2018–2022, a total of 20 laws were adopted, of which only two were marked as European integration laws.

It is a fact that in that term, alongside Messrs. Špirić and Čović, the collegium member was Mr. Bakir Izetbegović. It is particularly important to highlight that during Kemal Ademović's chairmanship, 16 laws were adopted, of which eight were from the European agenda.

This represents nearly half of all laws adopted in this term and more than half of all European laws adopted since the beginning of the mandate. For comparison: • during Kemal Ademović's chairmanship, 16 laws were adopted, of which 8 were European; • during Nikola Špirić's chairmanship, 16 laws were adopted, of which 5 were European; • during Dragan Čović's chairmanship, 5 laws were adopted, of which 2 were European. Thus, the facts show that it was precisely during Kemal Ademović's chairmanship that the most significant contribution to European legislation in the current term of the Parliamentary Assembly of BiH was achieved.

Furthermore, the claim that the blockades are a result of Kemal Ademović's chairmanship is incorrect.

The public is well aware that the quorum for sessions of the House of Peoples was on several occasions withheld by SNSD delegates, and subsequently by HDZ BiH delegates. The Chair of the House of Peoples has no ability to force delegates to attend sessions, nor can he produce a quorum where political actors deliberately withhold it. It is precisely for this reason that they have repeatedly publicly warned that the Rules of Procedure are being used as an instrument to block the work of the House of Peoples, which is confirmed by official records of held and adjourned sessions.

The thesis that the Chair lacked legitimacy within the Bosniak Caucus is also unfounded. The election of members of the Collegium of the House of Peoples was carried out in full compliance with the Constitution, the Law, and the Rules of Procedure of the House of Peoples of the PS BiH. The legitimacy of an elected member of the Collegium derives from the decision of the House of Peoples, not from subsequent political interpretations.

Finally, the public has the right to know that during Kemal Ademović's mandate, sessions were regularly convened, consultations with Collegium members were conducted, compromises were sought, and efforts were made to place on the agenda at least those issues on which there was agreement. Blockades did not arise due to the chairmanship, but due to political decisions of certain parties to halt the institution's work by withholding the quorum.

For all the above reasons, we believe it is fair and professional to present the public with complete and verifiable facts, rather than political narratives not based on the actual results of the work of the House of Peoples of the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina," the response states.