Optimism after coalition meeting: Working groups to work on judiciary laws, Amidžić's appointment in August

(Patria) - After nearly three hours, the meeting of the presidents of the parties that make up the state government has concluded. Participants gave statements after the meeting, and journalists were unable to ask questions.

Borjana Krišto was the first to speak, stating that they had aligned a set of European laws currently in parliamentary procedure.

"We agreed to schedule a session of the House of Representatives for August 22, where these laws in procedure would be considered. We agreed to form certain working groups that should work on a set of laws concerning the rule of law and the judiciary. At the level of the Council of Ministers, working groups will be formed that will include representatives of the executive branch. We agreed to continue this type of dialogue. Before the session on August 22, another meeting at this level should take place. The hosts would be SNSD leader Dodik, and there we would confirm everything we agreed on today," said Krišto, adding:

“I am convinced that we will make a strong step forward regarding Bosnia and Herzegovina's European path.”

The President of the SDP BiH, Nermin Nikšić, said that dialogue has no alternative after the conclusion of the coalition meeting.

“We must be open to cooperation even when we disagree on some things. We managed to align a set of European laws that should go to the session of the House of Representatives of the Parliamentary Assembly of BiH. If adopted, we will make a huge step forward towards the EU,” said Nikšić, adding:

"Before the session of the House of Representatives, we will have another meeting where we will try to confirm this so that this set of laws has passage in the House of Representatives of the Parliamentary Assembly of BiH.”

Nikšić believes this will be a good message to partners from the European Commission and the EU.

“This would be a quality message to our partners in the EC and the EU that the authorities in BiH want to work on fulfilling the 14 priorities. We decided to give statements without too much detail to avoid different interpretations and divisions,” said Nikšić.

The leader of SNSD said after the meeting that a session of the House of Representatives will be held on August 22 and that the Council of Ministers will be filled.

"I think we are emerging from a period of media and political noise and we have an agreement. On August 22, we will fill the Council of Ministers, adopt laws related to ombudsmen, we will resolve the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council through the Collegium, access to information, and two agreements from the Berlin Process will go through," said Dodik.

He stated that working groups will be formed regarding all segments of the judiciary, tasked with proposing new legal solutions.

“We agreed to form working groups for all segments of the judiciary that will propose solutions. During that period, the procedure for filling certain structures of the Constitutional Court of BiH itself should be initiated. I stand behind everything that was agreed upon and I am ready to work on it,” concluded Dodik.

The appointment of the new Minister of Finance and Treasury, Srđan Amidžić, is scheduled for August.