Trojka enabled SNSD and HDZ to fully take control of SIPA: Voted for Andrić, Ćulum remained director

(Patria) - The Chairperson of the Council of Ministers of BiH, Borjana Krišto, said after the session of the Council of Ministers of BiH that the Decision on the Chief Negotiator did not receive support in the first round of voting today.

"Our obligation is to establish and appoint the Chief Negotiator. Today, everything I heard from colleagues Helez, Konaković, Hurtić, and Forto is that they do not agree for this person to be from SNSD, that they are hindering the European path. This remains our permanent obligation, and I personally think the responsibility lies with us, and we should do everything to reach a decision and continue all our obligations. I hope we will make a huge step forward for BiH," said Krišto.

The Council of Ministers of BiH also appointed the Deputy Director of SIPA, Dragan Andrić, and the ministers of Trojka also voted for this appointment. Although Trojka previously requested that Darko Ćulum first be dismissed from the position of director, such stances clearly no longer exist.

"I think we have enabled this very important agency to continue its work," said Krišto.

Incidentally, Andrić is a figure close to HDZ, and with this appointment, he remains in full mandate regardless of the retirement conditions.

SNSD also previously had a request to appoint a new director and deputy director of SIPA as a package, but they have clearly changed their minds. Darko Ćulum's mandate expired in July 2024. Although he was absent from SIPA for four months at the invitation of Milorad Dodik for Serbs to leave the "unconstitutional" institutions of BiH, Ćulum returned to the position of director in mid-July, where he will clearly remain either for some time or receive a new mandate, even though he meets the conditions for retirement. Ćulum, Ljubiša Pandurević, and Slobodan Radinković are on the list of successful candidates. However, this list has never been considered by the Council of Ministers of BiH due to the lack of agreement.