The initiative for monitoring the European integration of BiH asked the Commission for the fight against corruption of the Parliamentary Assembly of BiH to urgently initiate the formation of an investigative commission on the state of the judiciary, with a clearly defined mandate, deadlines and public hearings, warning of current affairs.
They believe that the Parliament’s actions at this moment are of key importance for protecting the public interest, strengthening the rule of law, restoring the trust of citizens and fulfilling the priorities on Bosnia and Herzegovina’s path to membership in the European Union, writes Liberation.
Numerous affairs
The request was sent to Branislav Borenović, chairman of the Commission for the fight against corruption of the PSBiH.
They remind us that this state of affairs is not only an internal institutional problem, but also a direct obstacle to our country’s entry into the EU. They state that without a thorough assessment of the situation and a clear identification of the cause of the problem, quality progress in meeting EU standards of the rule of law cannot be expected.
– In the past period, the public in Bosnia and Herzegovina witnessed numerous scandals related to the integrity and independence of leadership positions in all judicial institutions. Special mention should be made of the Prosecutor’s Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which is perhaps the highest and most important judicial institution, at the head of which no chief prosecutor has seen the end of his mandate in the manner actually provided for by law. It is precisely these affairs that deeply affect and undermine trust in the work of the judiciary. So, not only when it comes to the Prosecutor’s Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina, but when it comes to all other prosecution offices and courts with numerous scandals and serious doubts about their independence – first and foremost of managers, but also of everyone else, says Damjan Ožegović from Transparency International BiH, which is a member of the Initiative.
Member of the Anti-corruption Commission Safet Kešo says that he learned about the initiative from the media and believes that it would not be bad to support it.
– We will see what the Anti-Corruption Commission itself can do, because it is a permanent parliamentary body. It is already established, in that sense, there is no need to expand it. However, I get the impression that this commission remains quite alone in this fight. And it would not be bad to support perhaps that initiative, to form a special ad hoc body that would deal with the issue of the work of the judiciary, i.e. non-work. In my deepest conviction, the Prosecutor’s Office is a cancer not only of the judiciary, but also of the entire situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina. society. Therefore, as far as I am concerned, the initiative is to be commended, Kešo za Oslobođenje points out.
Ožegović says that the Parliament has a constitutional basis, the capacity, but also the obligation to ensure parliamentary supervision over the judicial sector, when it is in a state of serious crisis.
Good foundation
– And that is precisely why the Parliament can do it, and the commission can take certain steps in order to contribute to the entire procedure to end in the right legal way. In fact, the commission can make certain conclusions, recommendations for the improvement of the system, which would continue through the parliamentary procedure and for all other relevant participants to finish the job to the end. Therefore, this commission, that is, the initiative cannot finish the job, but it can create sound foundations for the job to be done well to the end, Ožegović concludes.
