SDA Sarajevo Canton: We demand that competent authorities provide the public with concrete information about the tragic accident as soon as possible

(Patria) - We express our deepest condolences to the family of the young man Erdoan Morankić who lost his life in a tragic accident, as well as our sincerest wishes for the recovery of all those injured, according to the statement of the SDA Sarajevo Canton Committee.

"We have not officially commented in previous days as the largest opposition party in the Sarajevo Canton, because we wanted to avoid politicizing this sad accident and because we wanted to wait for more information about the causes of the accident itself, which the authorities were obliged to provide to the public. However, after the initial silence, the authorities, probably encouraged by the political culture of the opposition, have begun to create a narrative in which they completely exempt themselves from any responsibility, and we cannot allow that due to our responsibility to the citizens", the statement said.

They add that "without any intention to prejudge anyone's guilt, solely out of concern for the public interest and the safety of all our fellow citizens, we demand that the competent investigative bodies urgently take all necessary actions to shed light on all aspects of this tragedy and determine any criminal responsibility".

"Every new day that passes without concrete results of that investigation, as well as information that will be adequately offered to the public, will strengthen the citizens' justified doubts about the entire process and shake the already shaken trust in institutions. The concern and increasingly vocal dissatisfaction of the public is caused by the at least suspicious silence of the Sarajevo Canton Government and the competent Minister of Transport Adnan Šteta, along with selective and often contradictory information that reaches the public, as well as tendentious attempts to literally address all blame a priori to the tram driver who is the only one arrested so far", said the SDA Sarajevo Canton Committee.

They conclude: "The initial eerie silence and semi-secret crisis management, as well as subsequent meager bureaucratic statements forced by the public, hesitation regarding the declaration of a Day of Mourning, and especially the avoidance of any responsibility by the competent Minister Šteta, who, just like Prime Minister Uk, tells us that they will sanction those responsible, represent an unprecedented and unacceptable attempt to absolve themselves of any personal responsibility, even if it is political. The information broadcast on TVSA's Dnevnik on the day of the accident, according to which the Sarajevo Canton Prosecutor's Office allegedly ordered the Sarajevo Canton Government not to communicate with the public regarding this event, is also unacceptable."

"The question arises as to how and on what basis the judiciary, in a democratic society, can prohibit the executive branch from providing answers to a concerned and disturbed public? We believe that this did not happen, but that the Sarajevo Canton Government and the regime TVSA are trying to hide behind the Sarajevo Canton Prosecutor's Office, which is conducting the investigation, therefore we demand that the Sarajevo Canton Prosecutor's Office confirm this information by publishing that specific order or prevent such attempts at abuse by the authorities", said the SDA Sarajevo Canton Committee.