Tegeltija did not attend the session, deputies strongly criticise the work of the HJPC

(Patria) - Deputies of the House of Representatives of the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina strongly criticised the absence of the President of the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council (HJPC) of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Milan Tegeltija, from today's session of the House of Representatives of the PA BiH, which is discussing the reports of the HJPC BiH for 2017 and 2018.

It was emphasised that no one had respected the conclusions adopted earlier, and that the Investigative Commission formed to examine the work of the judiciary had not even been constituted. Nikola Lovrinović said that everyone wants to be independent of the House of Representatives, while they are elected by the people.

Nermin Nikšić (SDP) said that he belongs to the group of deputies who believe that a pointless discussion is being held.

"It bothers me less that Tegeltija is not here. What bothers me is that no one, except deputies when they propose certain laws, explains the materials. Independence of the judiciary YES. I would like to experience that. If we lowered the screen and changed the voice of judges, we would understand what nationality they are and who they are," said Nikšić, pointing out that 80 percent of citizens would say that we do not have an independent judiciary.

Nikšić spoke about spectacular arrests as well as the Expert Report on the Rule of Law, which pointed out a number of shortcomings.

"Has anyone dealt with that and is anyone trying to change the relations and the situation. Judicial reform is one of the worst implemented," added Nikšić.

SDS deputy Dragan Mektić requested that the reports of the HJPC BiH be removed from the agenda due to the absence of the President of the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council (HJPC) of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Milan Tegeltija, from the session.

He said that Tegeltija does not respect the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina and that there is no point for parliamentarians to discuss the HJPC when the President of the HJPC BiH is not present at the session.

Mektić also asked to whom the HJPC is even accountable, stating that the situation in the BiH judiciary must change. He said that crime and corruption have crept into the judiciary and that these deviations must be "cleaned out of the prosecutor's offices."

SDA deputy Šemsudin Mehmedović agreed with him, also requesting that this agenda item be removed until Milan Tegeltija appears at the session. Mehmedović said that the judiciary is affected by scandals and that BiH citizens generally have no confidence in judicial institutions.

SDA deputy Alma Čolo stated that the fight against crime should be a priority for the BiH judiciary, citing data from the HJPC report showing that BiH prosecutors file very few indictments on a monthly basis. She also assessed as shameful the fact that the Chief Prosecutor and the Deputy Chief Prosecutor of the Prosecutor's Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina have been suspended. Regarding the actions of judicial institutions, she said that the functioning of courts requires prior action by prosecutor's offices.

DF deputy Zlatan Begić, like Mektić and Mehmedović, pointed out the absurdity of considering the report itself if the proposer, in this case specifically the President of the HJPC, is not present at the session of the House of Representatives of the PA BiH.

Chairman of the House of Representatives of the PA BiH, Denis Zvizdić, said that the session is attended by HJPC member Željka Radović, who is authorised to attend the session, and that deputies can propose a conclusion to hold a thematic session on the judiciary with the mandatory presence of Milan Tegeltija, as was done by Naša stranka deputy Mirjana Marinković – Lepić.