Trojka and HDZ combine the election of two judges of the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina so that Čović gets another judge, Ćeman and Galić go into retirement

The House of Representatives of the Parliament of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina has initiated the procedure for the election of two new judges of the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina who will replace Valerija Galić and Mirsad Ćeman due to retirement. Judge Ćeman turned 70 on December 1, 2025, while Galić turns 70 only in October next year. Despite this, the ruling coalition deliberately delayed the election of a new judge who should replace Ćeman in order to approach the deadline for selecting a replacement for Galić.

This was done with the aim of making it easier for the Trojka, in the public eye, to hand over another position in the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina to the HDZ, while simultaneously gaining one judge position in the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The plan is for the Trojka to appoint its own candidate instead of Ćeman, and for the HDZ to appoint its own instead of Galić, thereby leaving the HDZ's influence in the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina untouched by the Trojka parties. We remind you that previously, although judges in the Constitutional Court are not elected on an ethnic basis, representatives of the Trojka voted for the HDZ candidate Marin Vukoja, who replaced Mate Tadić in that position.

As Istraga.ba learns, the SDP will propose Dženeta Omerdić, advisor to the member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina Denis Bećirović, for the position of judge of the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

According to the rules of the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the President of the Constitutional Court initiates the procedure for the election of a new judge in accordance with the Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina, no later than six months before the expiry of the judge's term due to age. The then President of the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Seada Palavrić, did this as early as February 4, 2025, when she sent a letter to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dragan Mioković, regarding the initiation of the procedure for the election of a new judge to replace Mirsad Ćeman, who turns 70 on December 1 this year.

However, only nine months later, on October 6 this year, Speaker Mioković addressed the House of Representatives, asking deputies to expedite the election procedure, even though at that moment less than two months remained until Ćeman turned 70.

A month later, on November 12, 2025, the President of the Constitutional Court, Mirsad Ćeman, initiated the procedure for the election of a new judge to replace Judge Valerija Galić, who turns 70 on October 13 next year. In the same letter, Ćeman reminded Speaker Mioković that the House of Representatives should have already found his replacement.

“At the same time, we again remind you of the constitutional obligation of the House of Representatives to carry out the election of another judge to replace Judge Mirsad Ćeman, who, based on age, should retire on December 1 of the current year 2025, about which we informed you earlier with the initial act of February 4, 2025, and the urgent request of October 6, 2025,” states the letter from the President of the Court, Ćeman.

After Ćeman's letter, the ruling coalition had the opportunity to simultaneously elect two judges to the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It seems that they deliberately waited for such an opportunity to arise.

In November of this year, members of the Working Group for conducting the procedure for the election of a judge/judges of the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina were proposed to the Commission for Elections and Appointments, chaired by Mladen Bošković. The SDA proposed Asim Kamber, the HDZ proposed Mladen Bošković, NES and PDA proposed Irfan Durić, the SDP proposed Senad Subašić, and NIP proposed Rasim Smajlović. The Association of Judges in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina appointed Mustafa Šabić and Joka Radić to the Working Group.

In this regard, for the 27th regular session of the House of Representatives, the Chairman of the Commission for Elections and Appointments submitted materials for the agenda item on elections and appointments.