South Interconnection Gas Pipeline Bill First Item on FBiH House of Representatives Agenda

(Patria) - A regular session of the House of Representatives of the Parliament of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina is underway in Sarajevo, at the beginning of which the mandate of Džana Šečić was verified. She took her seat in parliament instead of the newly elected mayor of Hadžići, Eldar Čomor.

After the representatives' question and initiative hour, the discussion on the agenda and proposed amendments began.

Presiding officer Dragan Mioković announced that the SDA Caucus submitted a proposal to include the Bill on the South Interconnection of BiH - Croatia in the agenda under urgent procedure, while representative Haris Silajdžić submitted a proposal to include the Bill on Amendments to the Labour Law in the agenda, concerning breaks during working hours.

With 74 votes in favour, the SDA's proposal was accepted. Representative Haris Silajdžić's proposal did not receive the necessary support, but the FBiH Government's request for guarantees needed for the FBiH Motorways to borrow funds for the construction of Corridor 5c Mostar North - Mostar South did.

It was also accepted that the Bill on the South Interconnection be considered under urgent procedure.

Although not present at the beginning of the session, HDZ representatives did attend.

The agenda includes, among other things, the Bill on Amendments to the Law on Settlement of Obligations from Old Foreign Currency Savings Accounts in the Federation of BiH – abbreviated procedure, the Bill on Amendments and Supplements to the Law on Enforcement Procedure, and the Draft Law on Surveying and Cadastre of Real Estate, as well as the Draft Law on Fiscalization of Transactions in the Federation of BiH.

The agenda was adopted with 72 votes in favour, one abstention, and 13 votes against.

We remind you that after the meeting between US Ambassador Michael Murphy and parliamentary parties, it was agreed that the law on the South Interconnection gas pipeline would be adopted in December.

Given that this is a law under urgent procedure, a 45-minute break was given for working bodies to convene and provide their opinions.

Incidentally, this is a legal solution that was adopted by the previous convocation of the FBiH House of Representatives, but not by the House of Peoples, which is why it has been in procedure for three years. The Croatian Democratic Union blocked the said law, insisting on the formation of a new company based in Herzegovina.

It remains questionable whether, if the bill passes the House of Representatives, the HDZ will invoke the vital national interest right in the House of Peoples.