Principal Deputy High Representative and Brčko District Supervisor Michael Scanlan welcomed the Assembly’s legislative steps yesterday to protect the fundamental rights of its citizens and improve the fiscal discipline and transparency of the expenditure of public funds.
The adopted Law on Peaceful Assembly – as stated in our joint statement with international partners – incorporates European and international standards on freedom of assembly and sets a precedent on how to strengthen democracy for the rest of the country.
“This is an example of how Brčko can lead the way on reforms in BiH, and we look to see the same with the Law on Conflict of Interest,” stated the Supervisor.
In that context, the Supervisor also praised the new dynamic that we are starting to see in the District on strengthening the accountability of public officials and ensuring the transparent, targeted and efficient spending of taxpayers’ money.
The next steps include the adoption of the Law on Associations and Foundations in September, securing funds for reviewing the voter list in the upcoming budget rebalance, and the continued support for infrastructure development and energy efficiency projects in cooperation with international partners.
The end state will be a better quality of life for the community and an appealing environment for investors to create the well-paying private-sector jobs that Brčko District needs to prosper as a community.
Creating the necessary legal environment for protecting the rights of national minorities with the adoption in September of the Law on the Rights of National Minorities will be yet another example of the District protecting it citizens in line with European norms and standards.
All these measures, together with the unveiling in August of the public register listing the incomes of public sector employees, are steps toward restoring the community’s trust in the governance of Brčko and the upcoming election process, added the Supervisor.
Today in Brčko, the Supervisor met with the Mayor and Deputy Mayor, Siniša Milić and Anto Domić, as well as the Deputy Speaker of the District Assembly, Ivo Filipović. The meeting took place in strict observance of all epidemiological safety measures.
The Supervisor continues to urge every member of the Brčko community to fully adhere to the orders issued by the relevant authorities for reducing the spread of COVID-19; this is not a hypothetical issue, this is about ensuring the District’s public health and wellbeing!
