Will SNSD and DNS MPs lose half of their per diem for leaving BiH PA sessions?

Deputies of the Alliance of Independent Social Democrats (SNSD) are leaving the sessions of the House of Representatives of the BiH PA because the initiative to dismiss Šefik Džaferović, the chairman of this house, due to alleged wartime past, is not being adopted, writes the Patria News Agency.

However, analysts warn that it is necessary to sanction such behavior of SNSD deputies, and for this to happen, the Collegium of the House of Representatives of the BiH PA must react.

Almir Terzić, a political analyst, told Patria that he does not expect SNSD and DNS deputies to face any consequences for leaving the sessions of the House of Representatives and the House of Peoples of the BiH PA because there has never been enough political will in that highest legislative body to adequately sanction the outbursts of elected representatives.

- We should certainly remember that in the past period there were a number of controversial appearances by deputies, either at the podium or through their actions in the hall of the Parliamentary Assembly, which should have prompted a reaction. Let's remember that the then deputy Drago Kalabić, in a derogatory manner with his play about the badger before the Court of BiH, ridiculed the BiH PA and the institutions of BiH. He was not punished for it. Therefore, the principle of deputies acting solely on their own discretion continues without adequate responsibility that the Collegium of both houses should point out - says Terzić.

Namely, the leadership of the assemblies is responsible for order, i.e., holding sessions of the BiH PA. In accordance with this, the BiH PA has had a Code of Conduct for Elected Officials since 2008, which clearly states that they are obliged to regularly attend sessions of both houses and working bodies of the BiH PA and that they must not leave the session while the chairman or a guest is speaking.

- The sanctions that the Collegium can impose in that case are up to 50 percent deduction from the one-time per diem. What was the justification for the Collegium in previous convocations for not using their sanctioning mechanisms for deputies was the claim that this code needs an implementation act, which is absurd considering that the adopted valid Code becomes final when both houses adopt it, and that was at the end of December 2008 - explains Terzić.

He adds that he sees no reason why there is no reaction, unless the Collegium does not want to offend the deputies.

- Then their silence is, conditionally speaking, justified. If they truly want to apply the acts to which they have committed themselves, they should have reacted and sanctioned delegates and deputies of the BiH PA not only in this case but also in a number of others due to inappropriate behavior, i.e., behavior that leads to the blockage of the institutions' work - added Terzić.