Konaković avoids answering question about diplomatic passports - Kešo: No reason for silence, unless something is being hidden!

(Patria) - Safet Kešo, a delegate of the SDA in the House of Representatives of the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina, has not received an answer from the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Elmedin Konaković, even after more than two months, regarding to whom he has issued diplomatic passports since his appointment as minister, i.e., from January 25, 2023, to February 10 of this year, when the question was posed.

Konaković was obliged to send answers within 15 days.

Kešo also wanted to know whether among those to whom Konaković issued a diplomatic passport there are businessmen who financed the NiP party, which Konaković leads, whether among those to whom he issued a diplomatic passport there are individuals who have problems with the law and court proceedings in BiH or other countries, and whether there are those for whom the issuance of this passport is ongoing.

- It is indicative that there has been no answer for two months. My questions were very simple and clear. I assume that the answers of those responsible are complicated and perhaps cannot be entirely clear and clean, so the reasons for Konaković's and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of BiH's eloquent silence for two months lie in that. But we will wait patiently, insist on answers, and they will have to send us answers, whether someone likes it or not – commented Kešo.

In the explanation of his question, he stated that there is information that Minister Konaković has so far issued several dozen diplomatic passports without the necessary transparency to which the public is entitled.

- Reasons for silence regarding this important issue simply must not exist, unless they are hidden precisely in the names and functions of the persons to whom the diplomatic passports of our state have been issued. Informing the public upon the issuance of each individual diplomatic passport is of particular importance not only for the transparency of the use of the institute of the discretionary right of the Minister of Foreign Affairs to issue diplomatic passports in accordance with the Rulebook, but also for preventing possible corrupt actions – Kešo pointed out at the time.

He emphasized that if every issuance of a diplomatic passport during Minister Konaković's mandate had been carried out transparently, the public would have had the opportunity to check and verify whether, when issuing a specific diplomatic passport, the minister was guided by the interests of the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina or by personal, family, party, or other interests.

However, Konaković is not the only one who does not answer questions from parliamentarians, or does not answer on time. At almost every session of the House of Representatives of the BiH Parliament, criticisms from delegates about this poor practice of members of the Council of Ministers of BiH can be heard.