FBiH Government Violates Law Again: Ignored Competition and Appointed Cronies to UKCS Management Board

Merita Lika-Pranjić, Željko Ler, Enis Hasanović, Jasmin Kapetanović, Adis Omerspahić, Dalibor Kolak, Mirza Dilić, Ademir Spahić, and Nenad Vanis are the names selected through the competition procedure for the new members of the Management Board of the University Clinical Center Sarajevo (UKCS), the Patria News Agency has learned.

This ranking list was signed by the Minister of Health Vjekoslav Mandić (HDZ BiH) on October 9th and sent to the FBiH Government, which was supposed to confirm the appointment of the people proposed above. However, the arrogance of those in the FBiH Government knows no bounds, as evidenced by their immediate reaction upon reading the list: "We didn't agree on this," and contrary to the Law on Health Protection, they appointed cronies who were not on the list nor had they passed the competition procedure.

To make matters worse, according to our source from the Government, Minister Mandić himself voted against the list he had previously signed!?

Thus, the FBiH Government has temporarily appointed Jasmin Kapetanović (President), Goran Stojaković, Benjamin Kulovac, Amer Ovčina, Ferihu Ćatibušić, Samir Muminović, Sulejman Muminović, Nusret Popović, Dragan Salomon, Amra Karić, and Alma Pehlić (members) to the UKCS Management Board for a period of three months.

This is a true testament to how little the FBiH Government respects legal regulations, and it was all done with the aim of dismissing Rusmir Mesihović, the director of UKCS, and appointing Sebija Izetbegović, the wife of Bakir Izetbegović, a member of the BiH Presidency, in his place.

It is well-known that Izetbegović has harbored the desire to lead the largest hospital in BiH for many years, and now the ministers of the FBiH Government have greatly assisted her in this endeavor.

- It is unprecedented for the FBiH Government to violate laws to such an extent. The government cannot appoint members on behalf of cantons or UKCS. I believe that lawsuits will now follow from those who were selected as members through the competition procedure – says our source.

For example, Adis Omerspahić was appointed from Zenica-Doboj Canton through the competition procedure, but he is not among the newly appointed Management Board members. Similarly, Jasmin Kapetanović and Enis Hasanović were appointed from Sarajevo Canton, with their appointments signed on September 11, 2015, by the Prime Minister of Sarajevo Canton, Elmedin Konaković. However, only Jasmin Kapetanović entered the new Management Board, and in the position of president.

- How can the FBiH Government appoint UKCS representatives? None of the three members selected through the competition, Vanis, Spahić, and Dilić, were chosen. This is not how things should be done; they should have repeated the competition, not invented names off the top of their heads – adds our source.

The Patria News Agency is in possession of the proposed list sent by Minister Mandić to the FBiH Government, and when we contacted one of the candidates from the list, he was quite surprised by the latest developments at the FBiH Government session.

- I didn't even know my name was on the list. I haven't received any notification, and I know some of the names on the UKCS Management Board and some I don't. I won't comment on the expertise of those I know from the medical field, but it is clear that they are politically suitable.

Otherwise, according to the Law on Health Protection, the Management Board of a healthcare institution owned by two or more cantons and the Federation consists of representatives from: founding cantons – two members each, or three members; healthcare workers of the institution – three members; and the Ministry of Health – two members.

Ranking list selected through competition procedures