Žilić warns: Establishing a new tourism board in KS disrespects the Constitutional Court of FBiH

Lawyer Ahmed Žilić has once again warned the Sarajevo Canton Assembly, members of the KS Government, and the Legal Counsel that establishing a new tourism board in Sarajevo Canton would be unlawful, as the Law on Tourism in KS is still pending before the Constitutional Court of FBiH.

The Constitutional Court of FBiH is determining whether the Law on Tourism in KS was passed in accordance with the Constitution of FBiH. No one knows whether the Constitutional Court will declare the law valid or "overturn" it, and for that reason, this law is invalid until the Court decides otherwise, writes Patria.

The proposal to establish a new Tourism Board of KS will be on the agenda of the KS Assembly scheduled for September 7th, before the deputies. Lawyer Žilić warns that the deputies should not support the establishment of a new tourism board until the Constitutional Court of BiH makes a decision on whether the Law on Tourism in KS is in accordance with the Constitution of FBiH. Because, Žilić warns, in its efforts to abolish the old and establish a new tourism board in KS, the canton's prime minister Elmedin Konaković refers precisely to the disputed law. And what would happen if the KS Assembly approves the establishment of a new tourism board in Sarajevo Canton on September 7th, and a few days later the Constitutional Court of FBiH rules that the Law on Tourism in KS was not passed in accordance with the Constitution of FBiH?

The Sarajevo Canton Assembly passed the Law on Tourism in KS at the end of April this year, but deputies from SDP, DF, BPS, and independent deputy Hamed Aljović, along with some deputies from SBB, requested an assessment of the constitutionality of the Law, stating that the procedure was not followed during the adoption of this law. The Canton did not receive consent from the Federation when adopting its own law on tourism.

- The formation of a new tourism board of Sarajevo Canton - which will be institutionally/federally unarticulated - calls into question the rule of law and the foundations of the constitutional and legal order in the Federation of BiH and Dayton Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as in Sarajevo Canton. Only the Constitutional Court of FBiH is competent to resolve this serious institutional problem in FBiH that goes beyond the significance of tourism itself - warned lawyer Želić, and reminded that the Constitutional Court of FBiH has not yet made a decision on the constitutionality of this law.

- Therefore, this constitutional dispute will only be resolved with the decision of the Constitutional Court of FBiH on the constitutionality of the Law on Tourism of Sarajevo Canton.

- This involves a VIOLATION of the constitutional and legal order of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (the constitutional and legal order of Dayton Bosnia and Herzegovina) by informal groups led by the Prime Minister of the Government of Sarajevo Canton, Elmedin Konaković, through attempts at an extra-institutional - illegal dismantling of the legitimate and legal Tourism Board of Sarajevo Canton - warned lawyer Žilić, in a letter he sent to the cantonal authorities on Monday.

Opposition deputies, as well as some deputies from the ruling parties in the Sarajevo Canton Assembly, also object to Prime Minister Konaković's forceful attempts to abolish the existing and establish a new tourism board. There are several unanswered questions regarding this case. In whose interests is the prime minister in such a hurry to establish a new tourism board in KS? How is it possible that Konaković does not respect the Constitutional Court of FBiH? Will he ultimately bear responsibility for this? Will the deputies also bear responsibility if they support Konaković?