Pivić: Hypocritical accusations from the RS entity, no Growth Plan if it degrades the state of BiH

(Patria) - Similar to the Trojka, the government of the RS entity is trying to shift responsibility for the non-adoption of the Growth Plan onto the four cantonal prime ministers from SDA, stated the Prime Minister of the Zenica-Doboj Canton (ZDK) Nezir Pivić.

"They are angry because we do not want to adopt documents that we have not even seen, and they are especially angry because we do not allow the jurisdiction of state institutions to be reduced. Accusations from the RS entity are tragicomic, because they act as if there is no unconstitutional action, attacks on the constitutional order of the State, blockades from RS, and taking funds for inflated building prices, collection of RS's legal errors from the BiH Budget, as if there is no secession, no constant sabotage of state institutions, no fugitives from judicial institutions...

The height of hypocrisy is the alleged boost for BiH's European path, while at the same time the constitutional order is systematically being destroyed, state competencies are being erased, and the Coordination Mechanism is being played with. A clear message for the RS entity, but also for others: In the Growth Plan, we will never agree to the retention of unconstitutional RS laws such as the Law on Technical Regulations; the Growth Plan must retain a visible reform that includes the filling of the Constitutional Court of BiH and respect for the decisions of the Constitutional Court of BiH throughout the entire territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina; the Growth Plan must retain a visible reform that includes the abolition of the right of ethnic veto from two state bodies; the Growth Plan must first list state ministries and we will not allow RS to delete them; the Growth Plan must have projects evenly distributed throughout the entire territory of BiH. It is high time they understood that one cannot go to the EU with unconstitutional laws.

The entire EU is based on the rule of law and respect for the constitutional order. And the RS entity is doing the exact opposite: it is passing laws that are in open conflict with the BiH Constitution, blocking state decisions, and then asking "why doesn't Europe take us seriously" and blaming others. The reform agenda is not a story about competencies, nor will we under any circumstances allow the competencies of the state of BiH to be degraded.

The reform agenda speaks of responsibilities for its implementation, and here the key role belongs to the State, which will also conclude this international agreement. The EU is asking BiH to speak with one voice, and some are persistently trying to send 14 voices from BiH and represent the State as if it were composed of entities and cantons. It is high time that everyone, including the Trojka, understood all of this and stopped fulfilling the SNSD's wishes. Because, the attempt to erase the state from EU documents is not any "compromise", but a betrayal of the interests of the state of BiH", concluded Pivić.