What awaits the dormant Sarajevo opposition?

By Amra Vrabac

Since August 4, austerity measures have been in effect in Sarajevo Canton, adopted by the KS Government at the proposal of the Ministry of Finance. Hiring has been halted, except for essential positions, payments to suppliers are postponed, public procurement is reduced...

Although the Government claims there is money, that the austerity measures are preventive and that there is no financial collapse, budget users have not yet been paid their annual leave allowance for this year. KS Minister of Finance Afan Kalamujić announced the payment of the leave allowance "in the fall", but the KS Government has not officially decided on the payment date.

The leave allowance has already been paid in other cantons, and in Zenica-Doboj and Tuzla Cantons, other obligations such as subsidies for agriculture, tourism, and economy have been settled, and higher base salaries have been agreed upon...

And while the Government is saving preventively, it seems that the opposition in the KS Assembly is also saving. Although it was expected that they would request an emergency session of the Assembly and demand a rebalance and discuss the real financial deficit of Sarajevo Canton, this has not happened.

Apart from a few sporadic statements by some opposition representatives, there are no other activities. And the opposition would have topics and questions for the authorities if they wanted to work. The end of 2025 is approaching, and reports from some public companies, whose deficits are yet to be discussed, are still pending. The interrupted February session of the KS Assembly, which included reports from public companies and institutions, has never been resumed. The issue of paying the second part of the subsidies for the purchase of the first property from 2023 has also never been resolved.

And while the opposition waits for media announcements from which they learn what is happening in KS and only then react, perhaps the Sarajevo representatives could take an example from some of their colleagues in the FBiH Parliament or at the state level who constantly seek answers from the authorities and initiate the resolution of pressing issues. It seems they do not lack ideas only during the official election campaign.

So, with a dormant government and an even more dormant opposition, the next session of the KS Assembly will only be held in mid-September. For now, the agenda is unknown, except that a new minister of higher education is to be appointed.

Numerous trade unions have also been expressing their dissatisfaction for months. Subsidies for agriculture in KS have been delayed for eight months, which has led to announced protests in front of the KS Government, and pressure is increasing before the start of the new school year. There are no calls for applications, and the instructions of Minister Naida Hota-Muminović on the deployment of educational staff are seen by trade union leaders as hiring of cronies.

However, none of this has been a reason for the opposition in KS, consisting of representatives from SDA, Party for BiH, and Democratic Front, to address the citizens and the authorities and demand an urgent resolution of the accumulated problems in healthcare, education, economy, communal economy...