Parliament of BiH: Legislative procedure for amendments to the BiH Election Law, proposed by the SDA Club, suspended

(Patria) - At today's session of the House of Representatives of the BiH Parliament (PSBiH), in the second reading and under an expedited procedure, the Bill on Amendments to the Law on Salaries and Other Benefits in judicial and prosecutorial institutions at the BiH level, proposed by the Council of Ministers of BiH, was adopted.

In the first reading, the Bill on Amendments to the Law on Value Added Tax, proposed by representatives Sanja Vulić, Mia Karamehić Abazović, Saša Magazinović, Sabina Ćudić, and Čedomir Stojanović, was adopted.

The House did not accept the negative opinion of the Committee on Legal Affairs on the Bill on Amendments to the Criminal Code of BiH, proposed by MP Nihad Omerović. In accordance with the Rules of Procedure, the Committee on Legal Affairs is tasked with preparing a new opinion on this Bill.

Following the second negative opinion of the Committee on Legal Affairs, the House of Representatives concluded that the legislative procedure regarding the Bill on Amendments to the Election Law of BiH, proposed by MPs from the SDA Club Amor Mašović, Safet Kešo, Denijal Tulumović, Šemsudin Dedić, Edin Ramić, Nermin Mandra, Midhat Čaušević, and Šerif Špago, has been suspended.

An amendment to the Rules of Procedure of the House of Representatives of the PSBiH, proposed by MP Obren Petrović, was adopted under an urgent procedure. The House had previously accepted the request for this amendment to the Rules of Procedure to be considered under an urgent procedure.

The initiative of representative Sabina Ćudić, by which the House of Representatives of the PSBiH requests the Independent Steering Committee of the PSBiH to propose to the Council of Ministers of BiH the dismissal of the Deputy Director of the State Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA) Zoran Galić, in accordance with Article 16 of the Rules of Procedure of the Independent Steering Committee as an independent body of the police structure of BiH, was adopted.

The conclusion of representative Šemsudin Mehmedović regarding the discussion of materials from the Management Board of BHRT was adopted, which states:

"The House of Representatives of the PSBiH proposes to the Government of the FBiH to urgently amend Article 29, Paragraph 2 of the Law on Enforcement Procedure of the FBiH, in such a way that the account for RTV tax or an excerpt from business books for the price of RTV tax also has the status of a credible document, which would enable an increase in the rate of RTV tax collection in the FBiH."

The House also adopted the following reports of BiH institutions:

• Report on the financial operations of BHRT;

• Report on the work of the Committee for the Election and Monitoring of the Work of the Agency for Prevention of Corruption and Coordination of Fight against Corruption of the PSBiH for 2023.

The Report on the financial audit of the Report on the Execution of the Budget of BiH Institutions for 2023, submitted by the Office for the Audit of BiH Institutions, was also adopted.

Along with this Report, the following conclusions were adopted:

• The House of Representatives of the PSBiH requests the Council of Ministers of BiH and the Ministry of Finance and Treasury of BiH to urgently proceed with the implementation of the audit recommendations contained in the Report on the financial audit of the Budget execution for 2023, and to submit to the House of Representatives of the PSBiH, no later than June 1, 2025, information on the implementation of the recommendations from the Report;

• The House of Representatives of the PSBiH requests the Council of Ministers of BiH and the Ministry of Finance and Treasury of BiH to undertake activities within their competence to harmonize the internal organization and job systematization regulations of BiH institutions with the valid decisions of the Council of Ministers of BiH;

• The House of Representatives of the PSBiH requests the Ministry of Finance and Treasury of BiH to prepare a proposal for regulations governing the procedure for supervision of the Law on Salaries and Benefits in BiH institutions and submit it to the competent institutions for further procedure;

• The House of Representatives of the PSBiH requests the Council of Ministers of BiH to introduce or prescribe a practice or mechanisms for determining responsibility for potential unthrifty, negligent, and illegal actions that have led to court proceedings.

The House of Representatives did not adopt the Report on the implementation of laws within the competence of the Central Election Commission (CEC) of BiH in 2023, submitted by the CEC BiH.

Due to the absence of the proposer, the discussion on:

• Report on the work of the Council of Ministers of BiH for 2023; and

• Report on the execution of the Budget of BiH Institutions and BiH's international obligations for 2023, submitted by the Presidency of BiH.

Dejan Ružić, Dženan Šečerbajtarević, Ilma Mehić-Jusufbašić, Danijela Despotović, Slavka Alagić, Ljubomir Kuravica, and Andreja Softić were appointed to the Committee for Deciding on Conflicts of Interest in BiH Institutions.

The House of Representatives elected Džamna Vranić as a member of the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council of BiH.

The resignation of Miroslav Janjić from membership in the Committee for Citizens' Appeals of the PSBiH was accepted.

The House of Representatives gave consent for the ratification of:

• Agreement between the European Atomic Energy Community (EUROATOM) and non-EU countries on the participation of these countries in the Community arrangements for early exchange of information in the event of a radiological emergency (ECURIE);

• Global Convention on the Recognition of Higher Education Qualifications;

• Council of Europe Convention on Cinematographic Co-production (revised);

• Amendments to the bilateral agreement between the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Compania Espanola de Seguros de Credito a la Exportacion, S.A., Cia de Seguros y Reaseguros, S.M.E (CESCE);

• Agreement on financing the re-establishment of the joint permanent exhibition in Block 17 of the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum;

• Agreement between the European Union and Bosnia and Herzegovina on the accession of Bosnia and Herzegovina to the EU4Health Programme;

• Agreement between the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the United Nations Population Fund;

• Loan Agreement (Geospatial Infrastructure Improvement and Property Valuation Project) between Bosnia and Herzegovina and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development;

• Amendments to the Loan Agreement and Republika Srpska Project Agreement between Bosnia and Herzegovina and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (Bosnia and Herzegovina - Recovery and Firm Support Project Loan No.: 9183-BA);

• Contract No. 1 on Amendment to the Loan Agreement signed on April 12, 2022 (GrCF2 W2 Public Transport Sarajevo e-Mobility) between Bosnia and Herzegovina and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development; and

• Contract No. 1 on Amendment to the Loan Agreement signed on February 1, 2023 (GrCF2 W2 E2 – Ilidža - Hrasnica Tram Line) between Bosnia and Herzegovina and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.