Meeting of FBiH power holders at the end of August: Čović presents a new wish list to the Troika, deadline for implementation by the end of the year

President of HDZ BiH Dragan Čović announced intensified activities on the political scene for the last three months of this year, both at the level of BiH and the Federation of BiH.

He recently discussed this with the president of SDP and federal Prime Minister Nermin Nikšić.

“The meeting was in the context of continuity, what we are doing and what we need to prepare,” Čović said this week.

For the end of August, he announced a gathering of all power holders in FBiH, the House of Representatives, the House of Peoples, and the Government of FBiH.

“And we will make a plan for those three to four months ahead of us. We expect September to be somewhat slower due to activities surrounding the local elections. I think we can be satisfied with that side and the way we are seeking solutions for problems we have not agreed upon, and I would like us to continue like that,” Čović said.

He reminded that he also expects the appointment of the director of FUP, and the tender procedure for the selection of members of the Independent Board conducting the competition for the director of this police agency is underway. HDZ does not hide its interest in having a Croat close to this party appointed to that position, which they have been insisting on for years. One of those candidates was the fugitive Zoran Galić, whom the FBiH Government did not appoint as director of FUP in 2021. The lawsuit he filed against the FBiH Government was dismissed by the court.

However, HDZ reportedly already has a name ready for this position from the Ministry of Interior of the West Herzegovina Canton.

Also, the tender procedure for the selection of members of the Management Board of RTV FBiH is underway, and precisely because of the process itself and interventions by legal advisors of the OHR, one member of the Joint Working Group of the Commission for Selection and Appointment, Mirnes Bašić (SDA), resigned and refused to participate in making illegal decisions. Ultimately, the majority in that group consists of members from HDZ, NIP, and SDP BiH. By selecting suitable members of the Management Board of RTV FBiH, this public broadcaster will be placed under full control through the selection of the director and editorial staff, as announced by Čović.

It is no secret that Čović's ideas are implemented by the Troika, as was the case with the selection of judge of the Constitutional Court of BiH, Marin Vukoja.

Chairman of the House of Representatives of the Parliament of FBiH Dragan Mioković said in an interview with Klix that the appointment of Vukoja was “an excellently done job.”

However, while some representatives from Naša stranka play hot and cold, publicly expressing dissatisfaction as Damir Nikšić has done twice, asking what is the point of being part of a majority where you have no say, there is another part of Naša stranka ready to support all of Čović's ideas. Even when he and his cadres block the Southern Interconnection project, which would make BiH independent of Russian gas. This very pipeline is a strategic interest of the USA, whose gas BiH would use via the LNG terminal on Krk in Croatia.

However, even in that case, Čović's blockade is being mitigated, and ways are being sought to accommodate his demand that the project be “managed by Croats.” New tasks and obligations will be received at the end of this month. Among them are certainly amendments to the Election Law, for which he needs support at the BiH level.

A. Vrabac