Troika and HDZ's candidate in the Constitutional Court of BiH: Judge Marin Vukoja was the only one to vote in favor of Milorad Dodik

Judge of the Constitutional Court of BiH Marin Vukoja was the only one to vote against the decision to reject Milorad Dodik's appeal, Istraga.ba has learned from multiple sources in the Constitutional Court of BiH.

Vukoja, namely, during the hearing at the 10th extraordinary plenary session, held on November 4, argued that the human rights of Milorad Dodik were violated, and that the Constitutional Court of BiH should accept the appeal of the convicted former president of Republika Srpska, thereby annulling the conviction of the BiH Court. In the end, Judge Vukoja was outvoted, and the decision to reject all of Milorad Dodik's appeals was made with six votes in favor and one against. In order to protect the "integrity" of Judge Vukoja, it was agreed that the published decision of the Constitutional Court would not state which judges were for and which were against, and Vukoja himself decided not to write a dissenting opinion. However, internal documents of the Constitutional Court of BiH state that Mirsad Ćeman, president, Valerija Galić, vice-president, Angelika Nußberger, vice-president, Helen Keller, judge, Ledi Bianku, judge, and Larisa Velić, judge, voted in favor of the decision to reject Dodik's appeal. Marin Vukoja, judge, voted against.

We remind you that Marin Vukoja was appointed judge of the Constitutional Court of BiH on May 28 last year with the votes of deputies from the Troika parties (SDP, NIP, Naša stranka) and parties of the Croatian National Assembly (HDZ BiH, HNP, and HDZ 1990). He took office as a judge of the Constitutional Court of BiH on May 31. Before being appointed judge of the Constitutional Court of BiH, Marin Vukoja was the secretary of the House of Representatives of the Parliamentary Assembly of BiH. In 2019, Marin Vukoja was on the HDZ list for the House of Peoples of the PS BiH, while in 2014 he was a lecturer at the HDZ Political Academy together with Robert Vidović.

Vukoja gave lectures on the topic "Work of Election Boards" and "Aspects of Election Legislation". During the appointment process to the Constitutional Court of BiH, Istraga.ba repeatedly warned that Vukoja was a candidate loyal to Dragan Čović and that he would follow the political stances of HDZ BiH in the Constitutional Court of BiH. Candidates from NiP, SDP, and Naša stranka defended themselves by claiming that Vukoja was a "pro-Bosnian oriented candidate" who would not support decisions against the state of BiH. However, Vukoja showed at the session held on Tuesday that he would, after all, vote in the Constitutional Court of BiH in accordance with the demands of HDZ, i.e., Dragan Čović.

Despite the fact that Marin Vukoja advocated and voted in favor of Milorad Dodik at the session of the Constitutional Court of BiH, the leaders of the Troika parties continued to deceive the public by claiming that Vukoja had once again shown that he was working in the interest of the state.

"The decision of the Constitutional Court once again confirms the importance and functionality of this institution. We remind you how important it is for all members foreseen by the Constitution to be in the Court, except for those coming from RS, who tried to stop its work with their blockade. That is precisely why the election of Marin Vukoja was of enormous importance. Let's just remember the brutal campaign they waged at the time, announcing that Dodik and Čović would 'take control' of the Court after Vukoja's election. Today it is clear that the opposite happened - the Constitutional Court of BiH has proven its strength, independence, and key role in defending the state. And finally, one should not forget - among them are those like Šćepo, who do not only hate Trojka. He also hates Bosnia and Herzegovina, and everything this country represents, while openly acting on the orders of the authorities from Belgrade and Milorad Dodik," wrote the president of NiP and Minister of Foreign Affairs of BiH Elmedin Konaković after the decision of the Constitutional Court of BiH.

The habitually uninformed Konaković did not know that the judge he praised, Marin Vukoja, voted in favor of Milorad Dodik.

After the decision of the Constitutional Court of BiH, the vice-president of the Federation, Igor Stojanović (SDP), also reacted, who also tried to use that decision to settle scores with the critics of Marin Vukoja's appointment.

"It is worrying when even some pro-Bosnian parties, instead of being a bulwark against attacks on institutions, contribute to their weakening themselves. We saw during the election of judge Marin Vukoja, when threats and political pressure were used instead of dialogue," Stojanović stated, unaware that it was precisely Marin Vukoja, supported by his party SDP, who voted in favor of Milorad Dodik, who is undermining the Constitutional Court of BiH.