Radončić: Izetbegović knew about my resignation

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - Fahrudin Radončić, BiH Security Minister, confirmed at today's press conference that he will submit an irrevocable resignation after today's session of the BiH Council of Ministers and that he has already informed the Chairman of the BiH Council of Ministers, Zoran Tegeltija.

"The reasons are completely principled, there is no nervousness, tension, or polemics. I thank the SDA for enabling both me and SBB to be in the parliamentary majority in the Council of Ministers. Political differences have emerged regarding some strategic issues within BiH. I asked for the migrant crisis to be resolved through legal channels and I mentioned the problem with the Pakistani ambassador who does not want to help us identify 9,000 Pakistani migrants. They immediately received him, the Minister of Foreign Affairs Bisera Turković and the member of the BiH Presidency Šefik Džaferović. They distanced themselves from me as the Security Minister and my plan, and at that point, any minister would have resigned because the Chairman of the BiH Presidency sides with an ambassador, and at that point, I already informed some people that we would withdraw from the Council of Ministers," said Radončić.

He explained that he waited for the situation with the coronavirus pandemic to calm down and for a deputy to be appointed.

"The second issue is the disagreement over the 'Respirators' affair. I had a political process and political persecution, but I do not think that a brutal theft of 10.5 million KM should not have its legal epilogue. As the Security Minister, I cannot accept the option of threatening the entire judiciary in a one-party or nationalist manner. I don't see anything anti-Bosniak in that, but I don't think a minister should watch without reacting when state prosecutors and judges are made a target," said Radončić, stating that no one is guilty until proven otherwise, even in Novalić's case.

He added that the relations in the ruling coalition are not such that there will be a relaxation of relations and that citizens can expect something.

"In the long term, the situation is not optimistic, God willing I am wrong, and sometimes one needs to step out of a situation that is not good or where one does not feel comfortable. The Ministry of Security and I personally have tried to do a good job during the pandemic, I think we have made the right moves, and I thank everyone for recognizing that enthusiasm," said Radončić.

Radončić said that he had informed the SDA president Bakir Izetbegović earlier, but also told him over the weekend.

"Today I also informed Tegeltija, as soon as today's session of the Council of Ministers ends, I will submit an irrevocable resignation, and I am no longer a minister."

When it comes to the coalition at the state level, Radončić said that HDZ, SDA, and SNSD have enough votes to implement their policies, and the participation of SBB in the Council of Ministers and at the state level is a closed chapter.
As for the governments in TK and KS, they are stable for now, said the president of SBB.

"This is not a pre-election move, we will try, and I am very convinced that Local Elections will be held, this is a move that should not be dramatized and which is normal in all countries of the world. Elections in Mostar really must happen, personally, I expect that, as far as SBB is concerned, a broader Bosniak coalition will be formed, as was done for Srebrenica."

When it comes to the position of Security Minister, Radončić said that he sees no reason why a Bosniak from the SDA should not be appointed at the next session of Parliament.

He expressed his conviction that the IMF funds will be distributed at today's session, but added that it is "unacceptable that 330 million euros from the IMF and 250 million euros from the EU are lying in our accounts while our economy is in collapse."