Criminal complaint filed against Špirić, will the 16th regular session continue: Respect for the Rules of Procedure or further blockade

(Patria) - The continuation of the 16th session of the House of Peoples of the BiH Parliamentary Assembly, which was interrupted on April 24 after a multi-hour debate on the order of agenda items, has been scheduled for May 29.

At that session, the head of the Bosniak Club, Šefik Džaferović, on behalf of eight delegates, requested that two items related to the removal of Nikola Špirić from the Collegium of the House of Peoples and two SNSD ministers in the BiH Council of Ministers, Staša Košarac and Srđan Amidžić, be considered as the second and third items on the agenda, rather than the last ones as originally planned on an agenda with over 50 items.

"We can no longer tolerate violence against the Rules of Procedure, nor the arbitrariness of the Chair and another member of the Collegium. The member of the Collegium from the Bosniak people was not consulted at all," said Džaferović.

However, Špirić persistently refused to put to a vote the request of eight delegates to change the order of agenda items.

Džaferović stated that previously, removals had priority, i.e., they were at the top of the agenda. He then accused Špirić of acting unlawfully and contrary to the Rules of Procedure of the House of Peoples of the BiH Parliamentary Assembly.

The Rules of Procedure stipulate that in cases where the Collegium cannot reach a consensus on an issue, the House of Peoples of the BiH Parliamentary Assembly decides.

This was also confirmed by Kemal Ademović, a member of the Collegium, who said there was no consensus on the order of agenda items and that he did not agree with the agenda.

Given that Špirić persistently refused to act on the request of eight delegates, the Bosniak Club, along with two delegates from the Serb Club and Zlatko Miletić from the Croat Club, left the session of the House of Peoples of the BiH Parliamentary Assembly.

After yesterday's emergency session of the House of Peoples of the BiH Parliamentary Assembly, which was abandoned by SNSD delegates to avoid the removal of their cadres, Zlatko Miletić announced the filing of a criminal complaint against Nikola Špirić, which he did today, reporting him for abuse of official position and negligent work in service.

Incidentally, these eight delegates insist that the House finally decide on the removals of Nikola Špirić and two ministers in the BiH Council of Ministers. The House of Representatives of the BiH Parliamentary Assembly voted on February 25 to remove Košarac and Amidžić, but the House of Peoples has never considered this due to obstructions by Nikola Špirić and Dragan Čović, as well as the abandonment of sessions by three SNSD delegates.

If the session does continue on May 29, delegates should continue to insist on compliance with the provisions of the Rules of Procedure and demand that the House decide on the order of agenda items, even though Špirić stated before the break that the debate was over. However, he gave the floor to some delegates, thereby continuing the debate.

But things could become clearer already at the emergency session preceding the continuation of the 16th session, which includes four laws proposed by HDZ and one from the BiH Council of Ministers.

It is possible that the continuation of the 16th regular session may not happen, depending on developments at the 14th emergency session.