The "Trojka" Parties Have Been in Power in Sarajevo for Years, Yet Problems in Healthcare, Social Welfare, and Utilities Are Growing

By Amra Vrabac

The new KS Government was appointed on November 15. The Party of BiH was no longer part of it, as the "Trojka" parties opted to form a majority with "independent" deputies who left the Party of BiH and Our Party, and with Damir Marjanović, a deputy from the Movement for New Generations.

Although Marjanović's movement is officially represented by one hand in the KS Assembly, his own, and he works in Zagreb as the director of an institute in Croatia, the Movement for New Generations received two important ministries in the KS Government: Finance and Higher Education. Due to Marjanović's desire to manage higher education, Our Party gave up Pavle Krstić and took over the utility sector, which was led by a Party of BiH official.

Even though Our Party is left with only four deputies in the KS Assembly because Redžo Lemezan left them, this party received the position of KS Prime Minister and two ministries, while, for example, NIP, which has seven deputies in the KS Assembly, has four ministries. It is no secret that the head of that party, Elmedin Konaković, was the proponent of the idea of reconstructing the KS Government, and he discussed entering the new KS Government with Marjanović.

Although the new government was supposed to work better because the Party of BiH was slowing them down, as the "Trojka" parties unjustly claimed, Uk's government has nothing to boast about.

Problems started very quickly. Around 1,000 young people who were eligible for housing subsidies received the lowest amounts ever, and instead of the promised 12,000 KM, they were paid 4,800 KM each. The responsible minister, Bojan Bošnjak (Our Party), even announced that the future of this project would be carefully considered. He demonstratively refused to find a way to increase subsidies, even though some ministers offered to contribute funds from their budgets. The public appeal from the NIP leader to pay young people an amount close to the promised one did not help either. Bošnjak, along with Uk, resolutely rejected all options.

The new government did not adequately address the security situation either, and no one from the KS Government appeared at the gathering of citizens after the murder of Faris Pendek, a 19-year-old high school graduate from the Fifth Gymnasium.

At the last moment, the KS Government avoided a mass strike by educators who were demanding higher salaries, better working conditions, changes to curricula, and adequate treatment from the minister...

Accumulated problems with student accommodation and the authorities' attitude towards this population resulted in a protest gathering of students. Director Amar Dovadžija resigned, and as he previously told Patria, the government's inadequate attitude towards the Student Center was the deciding factor. A new director was appointed, but the conditions did not improve.

The problems in healthcare, which we also heard during the presentation of the work report for 2022, with six reports being rejected by the KS Assembly, including the JU Health Center KS headed by SDP official Abel Baltić, in utility companies mostly led by NIP officials, and evident problems in social welfare institutions, which were discussed by directors at today's continuation of the KS Assembly, and which are used by a large number of KS citizens, show that it is not enough for the "Trojka" parties to simply seize power. Although they have been governing in KS for years, apart from introducing various categories and subsidies, no other progress is visible. Changes in public transport and infrastructure should have happened much faster.

According to information available to Patria, the "Trojka" parties are not satisfied with the work of the new ministers in the KS Government, especially the Minister of Finance, Afan Kalamujić. Other ministries are literally begging Kalamujić to sign their opinions so they can fulfill their obligations, make decisions, and ultimately do their jobs. Either Kalamujić does not know his job, or he is deliberately slowing down the work of other ministries.

Similarly, the newly established majority has 21 votes, while, for example, the reports of utility companies for 2022 were adopted by a majority of 19 votes.

The "Trojka" parties are further weakening internal party relations, which is also reflected in their work in the executive and legislative authorities. As local elections approach, further escalation of relations among these parties can be expected.

Taking power at the level of the Federation of BiH and the Council of Ministers of BiH has exposed the "Trojka" parties to public scrutiny to the extreme. And the alibi that those before them worked worse is no longer valid, at least not in Sarajevo. If you have been leading Sarajevo Canton for five years with a budget of over one billion KM, which is the amount of the state budget, and citizens do not feel an improvement in their quality of life in healthcare, education, social protection, and utility services, then it is obvious that you are doing something wrong. The only question is when the "Trojka" will realize this.