​We protected the RS from a disastrous fraud in January

The proposal which the parties from the so-called Union for Change had supported in January introduced for the first time ever the practice that decisions could be made even if the RS Government were not present. Now, we would have the system of coordination in place that would enable further progress of the European path and at the same time each level of governance in BiH would be visible enough and protected enough, Prime Minister said.

The Problem

In January this year the Council of Ministers of BiH adopted the Coordination Mechanism without the knowledge and consultations with the Government of the Republic of Srpska, and since the adopted solutions were not acceptable for the RS, the talks on this issue have resumed.

On Sunday we resolved three important issues – decision making, representation and chairing. In the Coordination Mechanism, the presence of authorized representatives of Republic of Srpska, Federation BiH and BiH Council of Ministers is obligatory and if any of them is missing, there is no quorum.

The agreement reached in East Sarajevo corrected all problematic issues in the phantom proposal of the Coordination Mechanism in January, stated Prime Minister Cvijanovic in an interview with Glas Srpske.

- The Coordination Mechanism which contains the changes included in the last half of the year and particularly those agreed in the meeting in East Sarajevo would facilitate coordination and enable further movement toward the EU – the Prime Minister emphasized.

GLAS: What is your view on the agreed Coordination Mechanism and whether bad solutions from its earlier version adopted by the BiH CoM without the approval from the RS have been removed?

CVIJANOVIC: In the last six months we have managed to solve the issues of the organization, number and composition of the bodies that would function within the structure of the Coordination Mechanism and their tasks. That structure has become more appropriate in terms of the size and at the same time harmonized with constitutional competences and clear set procedures. During the final talks on Sunday which included President Dodik and Mr. Izetbegovic from the BiH Presidency, the remaining open issues have been resolved which refer to the methodology of decision making, management and practice in the work of the collegiate bodies and joint structures of BiH and the EU within the Stabilization and Association Agreement. That practically means that all problematic matters which have been an issue in the January version of the Coordination Mechanism adopted by the CoM excluding the Government of the Republic of Srpska have been amended.

GLAS: Do you expect the Council of Ministers to adopt what has been agreed?

CVIJANOVIC: Each level of government is obliged to adopt the integrated version of the document on coordination mechanism reflecting the agreements made in the last six months and including the last agreement reached on Sunday. The Government of the Republic of Srpska would accept this version and would send it to the RS NA for adoption. Whether the CoM or the Federation Government and the respective parliaments would do the same, is up to them but the obligation stands that all levels of governance must do it, otherwise there is no coordination mechanism.

GLAS: How do you comment dissatisfaction of the Croat Member of BiH Presidency and leader of HDZ, Dragan Covic, with the agreed concept of coordination mechanism and allegations that the role of cantons disappeared?

CVIJANOVIC: As for HDZ, their interest is related to the role of cantons. Since that role is not reduced, I do not see the reason why this version is problematic.

GLAS: Do you believe that the ministers from the parties in the Union for Change would support the agreement made and would not obstruct it?

CVIJANOVIC: They make noise to hide mistakes and shortcomings of the proposal they had supported in January. This is an alibi politics and pretty obvious. Whether they would support it or not is the issue for the Council of Ministers within which they work and not for the Government of the Republic of Srpska in which they have no representation. The Government of the Republic of Srpska has accepted the role in the coordination mechanism which matches its constitutional competences and is right and appropriate from the aspect of the Constitution and the European path. Frankly speaking, what is and what is not up to the taste of the so called Union for Change does not interest the RS Government.  

GLAS: What was so problematic in the proposal of the coordination mechanism back in January?

CVIJANOVIC: The Proposal which the parties from the so called Union for Change had agreed  to in January was disastrous since it had allowed that decisions could be made even if the RS Government was not present. This illustrates very well their capability to recognize and care for the interests of the RS. I believe that the Coordination Mechanism which contains all changes agreed upon in the last six months and particularly those agreed by President Dodik and Mr. Izetbegovic would mean that we would finally have the mechanism of coordinating tasks and which would enable us to move forward on the European path while at the same time each level of government in BiH would be visible enough and protected enough on that Path.