Support from other parties as well: Gabela proposed amending the FBiH Constitution to allow citizens to directly elect the Mayor of Sarajevo

(Patria) - Edina Gabela, a deputy of the Party for Bosnia and Herzegovina in the House of Representatives of the Parliament of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, has submitted an initiative to amend the Constitution of the Federation of BiH to enable citizens to elect the Mayor of the City of Sarajevo and city councilors by secret ballot in elections.

This initiative will be voted on at the next session of the House of Representatives as part of parliamentary questions.

"All parties have shown interest in citizens of Sarajevo directly electing the mayor and councilors of the Sarajevo City Council. It is time to take the first step in amending the Constitution of the Federation, after which there will be an obligation to change the Constitution of the Sarajevo Canton and the Statute of the City of Sarajevo. It is important that the head of the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina is finally chosen directly by citizens, and not be the result of political party choices and deals, as we have witnessed in the previous period," Gabela said for Faktor.

She also emphasized that her fellow deputies from other parties agree and have already expressed verbal support.

"Colleagues Mirza Čelik and Amel Mekić said to include them as sponsors of the initiative, and I also spoke with Dragan Mioković and Damir Mašić, who also supported the direct election of the Mayor of Sarajevo," Gabela stated.

After the initiative is adopted, it will be forwarded to the Constitutional Commission, and with prepared amendments, it will return to Parliament, where a two-thirds majority is required, given that it involves amending the FBiH Constitution.

"The FBiH Constitution, in Article VI.a, City Authorities, paragraph 5, stipulates that the City Council elects the mayor, which today, unlike other cities, is applied in the City of Sarajevo. However, Sarajevo, as the capital, political, cultural, and economic center of Bosnia and Herzegovina, deserves that, just like in other cities across the Federation of BiH, the City Council and mayor be elected in direct secret elections.

For many years, previous mayors and the Sarajevo City Council have raised the issue of amending the FBiH Constitution as proposed by this initiative, all to create conditions for amending acts of lower legal force than the Constitution, namely the Constitution of the Sarajevo Canton and the Statute of the City of Sarajevo. Following all the above, I propose that deputies support the initiative to amend the FBiH Constitution, and I also propose that the Constitutional Commission prepare amendments that will clearly provide for the method of direct election of the mayor and City Council in the City of Sarajevo," the initiative by Edina Gabela states.