Attempted Fraud at the State Level: Pensioners in Power in Overtime

BiH, (Patria) - The election for the director and deputy director of the Border Police of BiH and the director and deputy director of the Directorate for Coordination of Police Bodies is still ongoing.  

However, this entire election process is shrouded in secrecy and hidden from the public, even though there is no legal or common-sense basis for the public not to be informed about the candidates for directors of the Border Police and the Directorate for Coordination of Police Bodies of BiH, as well as their deputies.  

The Independent Board of the Parliamentary Assembly of BiH, which selects the leadership of these services, came forward with candidates for the same positions four years ago. This time, the election procedure is non-transparent from the start. The basic principle of selecting candidates for these positions is transparency.

Why then the concealment from the public? Obviously, this was intended to favor certain candidates. Namely, several candidates who meet the conditions for retirement this year are trying to secure a position that would then exempt them from the retirement law. This is the same case as with Dragan Lukač, the director of the FUP, who refuses to retire by force of law and is supported in this by some political options.

At the last session of the Council of Ministers, just before the New Year, an attempt was made to push into the Border Police and the Directorate for Coordination of Police Bodies precisely those people who have already reached retirement age. Namely, after Zijad Srabović, the deputy director of the GP BiH, retired, and then Mile Jurić, the former deputy director of the Directorate for Coordination of Police Bodies, through behind-the-scenes games and political-subservient methods, Ivica Bošnjak was supposed to be appointed as acting deputy director of the Directorate, and Semir Pašanbegović as acting deputy director of the GP BiH. Thus, these candidates were clearly to be favored over others. When an opinion was sought from the Office for Legislation of BiH, such proposals were rejected, and it was warned that there is no legal possibility for acting deputy directors.

For someone to be a deputy in these services, they must be assigned the functional rank of general inspector, because the director holds the rank of chief general inspector.

Many high-ranking police officers have reacted to these illegalities and the immoral favoring of certain candidates. The matter was stopped in time. What is next? Will there be a final election of directors according to the law (and morality)? Or will new corruption games without borders follow in agencies that should be an example of uncompromising legality in their work.