Unions also confused by the situation in police agencies

The news that as of this morning, Bosnia and Herzegovina effectively has two state institutions non-operational, the Border Police of BiH and the Directorate for Coordination of Police Bodies of BiH, has also unsettled the unions of these bodies. Although they did not officially want to give statements, they expressed hope that the situation would be resolved as soon as possible.

We remind that the mandates of the heads of these agencies, Vinko Dumančić and Himzo Selimović, expired yesterday, March 9, as did their deputies, and the Council of Ministers of BiH has not, at least not transparently, made a decision on appointing new heads or appointing acting officials.

- What can I say, now effectively there is no one who could give orders to the police in the field. Politics is as it is, but we don't want to fuel the fire for now. We are already suffering in the field, we are neither guilty nor innocent, and we are getting beaten – one member of the Union of the Directorate for Coordination of Police Bodies told us.

Officials in the Council of Ministers and the Ministry of Security of BiH, as well as the state Independent Board, have not yet made a statement. The Chairman of the Council of Ministers of BiH, Vjekoslav Bevanda, told us that he is on his way and that the contact person for this issue is Bariša Čolak, Minister of Justice of BiH. However, Čolak is still not responding to our calls.

The Independent Board for the election of police leaders itself is also without a mandate, and a new one has not been elected. Judging by this, the blockade of the functioning of these two police agencies could last.