Konaković: SDA is trying to paralyze Canton Sarajevo

SARAJEVO; (Patria) - Elmedin Konaković, Speaker of the Sarajevo Canton Assembly, stated today that a session of the Assembly will be held tomorrow to consider the Draft Budget of the Sarajevo Canton for 2019, regardless of the appeal filed by Federal Prime Minister Fadil Novalić to the Constitutional Court of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Novalić requested that a temporary measure be imposed to halt the budget adoption process until the court proceedings are concluded.

- The budget is the supreme law of this institution, from which life in this canton is financed. All projects, budget employees, social and veteran benefits, and benefits for pregnant women and new mothers should be halted, according to Prime Minister Novalić, at the suggestion of MPs Mahir Dević and Aljoša Čampare. There is only one reason for this: SDA is no longer in power in the Sarajevo Canton, Konaković said.
 
Konaković described these actions as inhumane.

- If you are willing to halt the budget, which you yourself proposed twice and withdrew twice, simply because you are no longer in power, that is not humane.

Konaković reminded that the outgoing government signed collective agreements with trade unions in September last year, increasing costs by several million KM.

- This is the first damage that would result from a huge number of lawsuits by budget users. The second damage from not adopting the Budget and the Law on Budget Execution concerns the status of the University of Sarajevo, which is completely blocked in its operations due to the transition to treasury operations, until the Budget is adopted. They cannot receive their twelfth of the funds they used to receive, nor is it sufficient for all their needs. We must adopt this Budget by January 31st.

The SDA caucus, through Prime Minister Novalić, has decided to attempt to paralyze life in the Sarajevo Canton, Konaković said, adding that this is also political pressure. He stated that a response would be sent to the Constitutional Court of the FBiH.

- This is an attempt to destabilize a new majority and government in the Sarajevo Canton.

Minister of Justice and Administration Lejla Brčić stated that Prime Minister Novalić does not have the active legitimacy to file such a request.

- He did not have the constitutional right to file such a request. The Constitution of the FBiH is very clear that the assessment of the constitutionality of a canton or a cantonal law can only be initiated by the prime minister or one-third of the deputies in the Sarajevo Canton Assembly. I am surprised by such conduct and the damage that can arise from such a situation, Brčić said.

She stated that she does not see a possibility for the Constitutional Court of the FBiH to respond positively to Novalić's appeal. She emphasized that the appeal stated that "the adoption of the Budget would cause irreparable damage," but did not explain in a single sentence what that damage would entail.

The Speaker of the Sarajevo Canton Assembly noted that SDA deputies had also submitted dozens of amendments to the Sarajevo Canton Budget, and now they claim it is unconstitutional. If SDA deputies refuse to participate in tomorrow's session, their per diems will be deducted, Konaković said, adding that there will be a budget rebalance soon.

He stated that he had also sent a message to Prime Minister Novalić, but had received no response.