Bosniak Club warns of irregularities in Mostar and outvoting in the City Council

(Patria) - The Club of Bosniak Councilors in the Mostar City Council announced at today's press conference that they will not attend Council sessions unless leadership positions in the City Administration are filled for Bosniaks.

They emphasize that the failure to fill positions in the city administration has led to illegal actions in the city's services and departments.

Particularly highlighted is the reassignment of land owned by the state and in possession of the city of Mostar, with ownership in the cadastre being registered to Elektroprivreda HZ HB.

They state that the possessor has been changed for 207 plots, and that the Salakovac HPP has also been registered to Elektroprivreda HZ HB, and they have called on the inspection service to, as they say, stop such illegal actions.

The President of the Club of Bosniak Councilors in the Mostar City Council, Mirza Drežnjak, said that a practice that undermines the principles of equality and respect has been ongoing for a longer period.

Drežnjak stated that the Mayor of Mostar applies a selective approach in his work, which, they claim, undermines the principles of fairness and equality.

He particularly emphasizes that the views of the Club of Bosniak Councilors are being ignored and that their representatives are frequently outvoted at sessions of the Mostar City Council.

He said that the Mostar City Administration lacks people in important positions, which leads to irregularities in operations.

He stated that key positions in the cadastre, inspection, business service center, the Stari Grad agency, as well as in the managements and supervisory boards of public companies, have not been filled. Because of this, he claims, abuses occur, especially in the cadastre, where land is transferred from one institution to another without verification of the actual situation on the ground.

As an example, he cited that land from the hydroelectric plant on the Neretva was transferred to Elektroprivreda HZHB without insight into who actually uses it.

He pointed out that part of the mentioned land is already owned by the state.

"Part of the land is owned by the City of Mostar, and it would be logical for that change of possession to be carried out in the cadastre as well, but the cadastre's decision determined that all this land be transferred to JP HZ HB, which is over 750 dunams of land in various cadastral municipalities, from Vrapčići, Potok, Vojno, Raštani, Željuša, without the involvement of the public or interested parties, even though on many plots there are already built commercial and residential buildings, and no one carried out that on-site inspection," Drežnjak stated.

The President of the Mostar City Council, Đani Rahimić, assessed that the city administration of Mostar is not functioning as it should, emphasizing that the absence of tender procedures leads to legal uncertainty.

He stated that tenders for the supervisory boards of public companies are not being announced, stressing that key positions cannot remain unfilled, regardless of ethnic affiliation.

"Such conduct leads public companies, as well as the City Administration, into a state of legal uncertainty and disorder," Rahimić said.

He added that the mayor, as the head of the city, bears responsibility for such a situation.

Rahimić emphasized that announcing tenders is a legal obligation and warned that not filling positions leads to "anarchy," especially in the cadastre.

As an example, he cited, as he claims, the illegal registration of ownership of the Salakovac hydroelectric plant, which is owned by Elektroprivreda BiH, to Elektroprivreda HZHB, assessing this as a serious violation of the law.

He added that the inspection has been informed about everything and warned that such situations create legal uncertainty and deter investors, because, as he stated, they call into question the security of property ownership.

The Club of Bosniak Councilors proposed that the disputed decision be annulled until the factual situation is determined, with a message that they expect respect for the law and competent procedures.

Rahimić assessed that the dismissals and failure to fill leadership positions previously held by Bosniaks represent a serious blow to the functioning of the City of Mostar.

He also warned of what he described as the marginalization of Bosniak representatives in the city government, emphasizing that councilors from the Bosniak ranks could boycott sessions of the City Council if such practices continue.