Magazinović: This is the beginning of the end for the current VSTV structure

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - It was common sense for the majority in the House of Representatives of the Parliamentary Assembly to support the Initiative, and I am especially grateful to my colleagues in the Transport Committee, and I was surprised by the presence and approach of representatives of the Ministry of Transport who announced that they would actively work on the realization of the initiative, all in order to reduce the abuse of official cars to the smallest possible measure, said Saša Magazinović, SDP MP in the House of Representatives of the BiH Parliament and initiator of the Initiative, today on N1 television.

"Now it's the Council of Ministers' turn. Institutions and ministries own hundreds of vehicles. When you come to official parking lots on Friday, those cars are not in the parking lot. Where are they? They are found on private properties, at resorts, used for vacations. In such use of official cars, there is also a criminal offense - damage to the budget, favoritism towards other persons, abuse of position," said Magazinović.

According to him, it often happens that heads of institutions buy the favor of their subordinates by creating a network of loyal people, doing various favors, and among other things, giving them permission to use official vehicles 24 hours a day.

"It is strange to me that the Prosecutor's Office has not reacted when a high-ranking official is photographed abusing an official vehicle. The initiative aims to mark official vehicles and make it visible to all of us whose vehicle it is. The Council of Ministers has 30 days to change the Rulebook, and the cheapest solution is to put stickers on the vehicles, another way, like countries in the region, is to make license plates of a different color... Citizens should be allowed to report abuses of official vehicles," added Magazinović.

He adds that although the application of the amendments to the Rulebook has not yet begun, many have started to change their habits.

"Hundreds of cars are driven by people who are not entitled to them, thus creating anarchy in institutions. All of this is reported, but it is most often covered up. This initiative does not apply to protected persons, because for legal reasons it is not possible. It applies to more than 90 percent of the vehicle fleet," points out Magazinović.

He adds that perhaps the support for his initiative is proof of readiness to introduce some order into the system.

He also commented on the rejection of Damir Arnaut's proposal to limit severance pay for parliamentarians, ministers... to 10,000 KM, and said that it appeared that some MPs and clubs mistakenly voted against it.

Regarding the rejection of the VSTV Report in the House of Representatives of the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the absence of VSTV president Milan Tegeltija, Magazinović says: "We were eagerly awaiting Tegeltija's arrival. He did not appear, but sent members who were not capable of speaking or taking responsibility. This is the first time that not a single MP voted for the Report on the work of the VSTV. I think that is the first mistake he made."

Magazinović says he had questions about the murder of David Dragičević, about prosecutors whose indictments are falling while they are advancing...

"I think this is the beginning of the end for this kind of VSTV structure, and I am happy about that," added Magazinović.

When asked why he believes Mlađen Božović should not be appointed as a minister in the Council of Ministers of BiH, Magazinović replies: "He absolutely lacks the capacity. He did not know the answers to the questions I asked him in the Committee. I asked him about LGBT, and he talked about paving roads. Why others do not support him is a matter of their political bargaining."

"The paralysis of power at any level affects citizens, but as far as Sarajevo Canton is concerned, I think the team led by SDA miscalculated a bit and went in an unconstitutional direction," concluded Magazinović.