Chairman Fehim Škaljić called for a session of the House of Representatives of the FBiH Parliament, in which the daily agenda called for a discussion of the initiative-recommendations for FBiH constitutional changes.
The draft recommendation was prepared by an expert group for reform of the FBiH Constitution on the basis of the gap analysis, inconsistencies and problems of the FBiH Constitution. The expert group consulted extensively with stakeholders in the FBiH from January-May 2013 and documented key issues in a report entitled “FBiH Constitutional Reform: Feasibility”, stated in the submitted material.
Among other things, the deletion of the category ‘Other’ from the preamble to the FBIH Constitution was proposed. The category ‘Other’ would be changed with ‘those who do not identify themselves as members of the constituent peoples (because they cannot or do not want to) and members of national minority’’.
Among several changes proposed is the abolition of the institution of the President of the FBiH and transfer of the powers to the President and Vice-President of the Parliament and the President of the government.
The President and Vice-President of the Parliament would form a new institution. Presidents of the House of Representatives and the House of Peoples, officials from the current practice, would form the vice-presidents of the Parliament.
Instead of the current 98, the House of Representatives would have 81 delegates, and within its mandate there have to be at least 4 members from one constituent group, at least 2 members of a national minority and at least one member from the group of citizens that do not identify with constituent groups or national minorities.
The House of Peoples would have 44 delegates: 13 Bosniaks, 13 Croats, 13 Serbs and 5 delegates from those who do not identify as being part of the constituent group.
In the current session of the House of Parliament, there are 58 delegates, with 17 from each constituent group and 7 from the ‘Others’.
Tomorrow’s session of the House of Representatives is scheduled to be extended because, in addition to the 8 delegates, a number of other federal, cantonal and municipal officials will come, and will be held in the Dom Mladih in Skenderija. This is a bigger space in comparison to the room in the building in which sessions of the Parliament are normally held.
(Source: Fena)
