NEVER CONFUSING, AND THANKS TO SCHMIDT With possible blockades in FBiH, complications arise at the state level too - the Bosniak Club in the hands of the opposition

By: A. Čorbo-Zećo

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The situation regarding the formation of government in Bosnia and Herzegovina is reaching its peak, and the already complicated system in BiH has been further complicated by High Representative Christian Schmidt, and now we have a situation where, in addition to a possible blockade in the Federation of BiH, we have the same at the state level!?

The conclusion is easy to draw – Schmidt did not unblock anything, as has been claimed for months, and this has been recognized by some European officials, which is why Schmidt had to appear before AFET. 
Just after realizing that, according to his plans, the SDA cannot be bypassed after all, he began lobbying 'to give them some position' and for them to join the government with the eight-party coalition!?

These are direct demands from Schmidt, so the efforts of Nermin Nikšić, president of the SDP, to arrange a meeting with Bakir Izetbegović are not surprising, because until now the representatives of the eight-party coalition have acted exclusively on the orders of international factors, primarily the US ambassador to BiH, Michael Murphy.

With this lobbying, Schmidt is saving himself, because the blockade effectively destroys his myths that he unblocked something, and he will be questioned about this by those who appointed him to the position of High Representative in BiH, even though he has long been violating the mandate that this position entails, such as meetings with Miroslav Lajčák or Oliver Várhelyi.

However, that is another topic, but according to Patria's information, it is being seriously addressed within the European Union and the Bundestag!

Although the eight-party coalition at the state level has shrunk to a six-party coalition, the formation of the Council of Ministers continued and was eventually formed, but without NES and SBiH. Logically, for the Council of Ministers to function and for legislative proposals to pass without difficulty, it was necessary to secure a stable majority in both houses of the Parliamentary Assembly of BiH. Both in the House of Representatives and in the House of Peoples of the PA BiH.

Now that is not the case. In the House of Representatives of the PA BiH, there is a majority consisting of HDZ, SDP, NS, SNSD, BHI KF... but in the House of Peoples, the Bosniak Club will be occupied by four opposition delegates out of a total of five - only Kemal Ademović (NIP), while the other four delegates come from the opposition – Šefik Džaferović, Safet Softić (SDA), Dženan Đonlagić from DF, and Džemal Smajić from SBiH.

The quorum necessary for decision-making in the House of Peoples consists of nine delegates, provided that at least three Bosniak, three Croatian, and three Serbian delegates are present, and according to the House's Rules of Procedure, decisions in the House are made by a majority vote of the delegates present and voting. Delegates make efforts to ensure that the majority includes at least one-third of the delegates elected from the territory of each entity, unless otherwise provided by the BiH Constitution and the Rules of Procedure.

Therefore, it is very clear how blockades or potential delays in the procedures for adopting laws can occur. Four delegates from the Bosniak Club simply do not attend the session! I am not claiming that this will happen, I am only pointing out the fact that the six-party coalition did not play the game well!

The Party for BiH has thus become a parliamentary party at the state level as well, even though their exit from the eight-party coalition was 'downplayed' when the leaders of NIP and SDP explained that they have no representatives and that their decision would not shake the path to government formation.

But, whoever digs a pit for others falls into it themselves. First and foremost, that is the SDP, which seems to have finally realized that their partners have played them quite a bit, especially NIP, which did not want to give up the position for Ademović, so the SDP, after many years, will be left without delegates in the state House of Peoples! And, thanks to voting in the cantonal assemblies, where, instead of their own, they supported NIP candidates, the SDP BiH in the Bosniak Club of the House of Peoples of FBiH has only two delegates. That was not enough for the election of state delegates.