HARMONIZATION TO FOLLOW Budget for 2020 adopted in different text at the House of Peoples

SARAJEVO, (Patria) – The third session of the House of Peoples of the BiH PA, and the second urgent one, is being held today due to the budget of BiH institutions for 2020. 

After the budget was adopted in the first reading at the 4th urgent session, a break was taken before the next session due to amendments. 

If the budget is adopted in the House of Peoples in a different text than the one adopted by the House of Representatives of the BiH PA, harmonization and adoption of the same text in both houses of the Parliamentary Assembly of BiH is necessary. This is precisely the scenario foreseen by SDA delegate Asim Sarajlić. 

14 delegates are attending the session, and Dragan Čović is justifiably absent. 

Dušanka Majkić (SNSD) said that the Finance and Budget Committee of the House of Peoples of the Parliamentary Assembly accepted six amendments. Regarding Jasmin Emrić's amendment on allocating 450,000 KM for the migrant crisis from the budget reserve, which was proposed in the House of Representatives, Majkić said that these funds can be allocated by a special decision.  

Bariša Čolak (HDZ BiH) said that the final decisions of the Committee are not subject to discussion in the House of Peoples. 

Bakir Izetbegović, as a member of the Collegium, said that amendments located in the budget in this way would lead to the budget being rejected.

"I think we should vote on the Committee's report, and only then on the Budget. We all know very well from which item 750,000 KM was removed and for what it should be used during the migrant crisis, not for buying cars, arranging offices," said Izetbegović. 

Denis Bećirović said that after a 15-minute break requested by the Bosniak Caucus, the discussion should continue. 

Munib Jusufović (SBB) said that "there is no way to make a reasonable decision today for the Budget to be adopted".

"I wish someone would teach me what the solution is for the budget to be adopted. It can only be with smaller or larger consequences. There is no smart decision for the budget to be adopted," said Jusufović.

Speaker Nikola Špirić said that the goal is to reach a budget. 

The budget in the second reading was adopted in a different text with 13 votes in favor. 

"Given that it was adopted in a different text, we must form a committee to harmonize the text," said Špirić. 

The caucuses submitted proposals for committee members, and Špirić expressed hope that the harmonization would be completed next week so that an identical text would be adopted in both houses of the BiH PA.