Majority Questionable at the House of Representatives of the FBiH Parliament Session on September 4: Turbulence in the Coalition Over FUP

By Amra Vrabac

On Wednesday, September 4, an extraordinary session of the House of Representatives of the FBiH Parliament was scheduled with only four items on the agenda. Amendments to the Law on Police Officers of FBiH and the Law on Internal Affairs of FBiH were proposed under an urgent procedure. Also on the agenda under an urgent procedure is the Strategy for Agriculture and Rural Development of FBiH 2021-2027, as well as the Harmonization of the Bill on Amendments and Additions to the Law on Waste Management.

It is precisely these two laws from the scope of the Federal Ministry of Internal Affairs that have caused conflicting opinions and stances in recent days. The question arises whether there will even be a parliamentary majority at the upcoming session, consisting of the parties of the 'trojka', HDZ BiH, HDZ 1990, and several other representatives, to pass these amendments.

At its session on July 18, the Government of the Federation of BiH, upon the proposal of the Federal Ministry of Internal Affairs, determined the draft laws amending the Law on Police Officers of the Federation of BiH and the Law on Internal Affairs of the Federation of BiH.

Regarding the Law on Internal Affairs of FBiH, the adopted amendments repeal the provision that stated that at the time of the public competition announcement and during the term of office, a candidate for the director and deputy director of the Federal Police Administration does not meet the conditions for retirement.

The explanation from the FMUP states that due to the specifics of promoting police officers to higher ranks, which is done only for vacant positions, and specific procedures related to promotion, the situation has arisen where no police officer from the Federal Police Administration with the rank of chief inspector meets the conditions to apply for the position of FUP director and deputy FUP director, as they will meet the conditions for retirement during their term of office, and according to the Law on Police Officers, a police officer's employment terminates automatically.

The Federal Ministry further states that a similar or identical situation exists in most cantonal ministries of internal affairs with police officers who meet the rank requirements, i.e., can be candidates for FUP director or deputy director.

These laws are being amended at a time when the election of members of the Independent Board is current, and applications received for the competition will be opened at the beginning of next week. Although there is still time until the election of the FUP director, until the procedure for electing the Independent Board, which conducts the procedure for electing the FUP director, is completed, and which must also pass through both houses of the FBiH Parliament, political parties forming the government oppose urgent amendments to these laws.

On Thursday, a meeting was held in Mostar between the Prime Minister of FBiH Nermin Nikšić and several ministers and SDP officials with the president of HDZ and a delegation from that party. The election of the FUP leadership was also discussed at the meeting. Nikšić stated a few days ago on FTV that the election of the FUP director is a "political issue," thereby completely degrading the laws that clearly stipulate the procedure for electing the FUP director and deputy director, and indirectly implying that the members of the Independent Board are obviously political representatives.

The Law on Internal Affairs specifies that the Minister of the FBiH MUP and the FUP director cannot be from the same constituent people. However, according to Damir Džebe, president of the Club of Croats in the House of Peoples of the FBiH Parliament, this means that if the minister is Bosniak, then the FUP director "must be a Croat." Such a provision does not exist in the law; it only states that they cannot be from the same constituent people.

According to information available to Patria, HDZ has already found a candidate for FUP director. This is Ivan Brkić, the current police commissioner of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of West Herzegovina Canton. HDZ has clearly presented Nikšić with the demand that a Croat "tailored to HDZ" be elected as FUP director, and after the meeting in Mostar, reactions from coalition partners followed.

"There is no talk of any changes within the FUP as long as the situation is as it is in Herzegovina-Neretva Canton. In HNK, you have two main positions, the Minister of Internal Affairs and the Police Commissioner, both held by Croats. Until that changes, we will not discuss changes in the FUP," said the president of NiP, Elmedin Konaković.

Another reaction came from NiP, from delegate in the House of Peoples of the FBiH Parliament, Aljoša Čampara, who stated that he does not agree with the amendments to these two laws being adopted under an urgent procedure.

“I have no intention of supporting the amendments and additions to the Law on Internal Affairs of the Federation of BiH and the Law on Police Officers of the Federation of BiH. I emphasize that the FMUP's proposal is good, as it aligns regulations with state regulations regarding the election of the director and deputy director of the police administration, but I also believe there are much more important things that need to be amended in these laws.

Therefore, I am prepared to support exclusively the return of the laws to the regular parliamentary procedure, during which we will open a discussion on the abolition of the legal provision on the ethnic affiliation of the director of the Federal Police Administration.

Why shouldn't the Minister of the Federal Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Director of the Federal Police Administration be Bosniaks, when the Minister of Internal Affairs of HNK and the Police Commissioner of MUP HNK are both Croats? Do Bosniaks not have a quality chief inspector who meets the conditions for election to the position of FUP director? Ultimately, we should free the security apparatus from ethnic affiliation because police officers should be in the service of all citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina,” stated Čampara.

If this is the stance of the president and delegates of NiP, it means that the parliamentarians of this party will also vote accordingly, and it is possible that there will not be a majority to adopt these laws.

On the other hand, Naša stranka also objected to Nikšić's unilateral action and talks with Čović, without consultations within the coalition.

Given that the Počitelj-Zvirovići highway section will also be opened on that day, and due to political turbulence, it is possible that the session will be adjourned.