Staffing by Žarko Laketa in the SPS: More Serbs than Bosniaks, 23 people employed since the start of his mandate, of which 12 are Serbs

(Patria) - The Service for Foreigners' Affairs (SPS), headed by Žarko Laketa as a cadre of the SNSD, has 235 employees, of which 100 are Serbs, 95 Bosniaks, 37 Croats, and three others.

Laketa was appointed in February 2023 during the mandate of the new ruling coalition, and he has good relations with Sevlid Hurtić, the Minister for Human Rights and Refugees, who also leads the security sector on behalf of the troika. However, in the new government reconstruction, it is questionable whether Hurtić will retain his ministerial position, given that he was a compromise solution between the SDP and the SNSD.

Regarding leadership positions, out of 17 heads of internal organizational units, seven are Serbs, seven are Bosniaks, and three are Croats.

There are nine employees on fixed-term contracts, of which three are Bosniaks, five are Serbs, and one is a Croat. On March 2 this year, Laketa attended a meeting with Milorad Dodik and Željka Cvijanović after the adoption of unconstitutional laws in the National Assembly of the Republika Srpska, which ban the work of the Court, Prosecutor's Office, HJPC, and SIPA on the territory of the RS. The same meeting was attended by SIPA Director Darko Ćulum, DKPT Deputy Director Goran Amidžić, OSA Deputy Director Risto Zarić, and the leadership of the RS Ministry of Interior.

Regarding the Administration in Sarajevo, out of 119 employees, 55 are Serbs, 42 Bosniaks, 18 Croats, and one from the Others category.

Below we present the national structure of employees in the Service for Foreigners' Affairs. Since Laketa took over the SPS, 23 people have been employed, of which 12 are Serbs, eight Bosniaks, and three Croats.