Although a new majority in the House of Representatives was confirmed by the dismissal of SNSD’s Nebojsa Radmanovic and the appointment of SDS’s Darko Babalj, there is still no new coalition. The signing of a coalition agreement was optimistically announced, but once again, the Electoral Law has become a stumbling block. The crowning achievement of the agreement was supposed to be the new Minister of Security, Nebojsa Vukanovic. However, there is still no confirmation of the appointment. The only thing present is optimism and announcements that after the holidays, there will be a new meeting with concrete proposals.
Next week could be crucial. If a meeting is held and a new coalition agreement is signed, SNSD will officially become the opposition in the House of Representatives. For now, there is only confirmation that discussions are ongoing.
“Yesterday, there was a meeting between the opposition and HDZ Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). These are informal meetings where we assess the situation we are in. I can’t tell you when all this might be initiated; we have an informal agreement to meet again after the holidays when the date of that meeting is determined, and then we’ll see what will happen,” said Nenad Grkovic yesterday, a member of the ‘For Justice and Order – Nebojsa Vukanovic’ party.
Time is running out, and the parties negotiating are increasingly aware that there is a deadlock and that things are not proceeding according to the planned dynamics.
“The Coalition of the Three from the Federation of BiH (FBiH), a group of three from Republika Srpska (RS), and HDZ are in talks. Yesterday with some, today with others. We will continue in the coming days, and I think we will very soon have a final position and answer – yes or no. It either exists or it doesn’t,” said Branislav Borenovic, a PDP member in the Parliamentary Assembly of BiH (PABiH).
There has been speculation for some time that discussions are underway about who will replace the two SNSD ministers, as well as who will replace Minister Hurtic. Unofficially, the Ministry for Human Rights and Refugees will go to NESS, and SDS could once again have Mirko Sarovic at the helm of the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations.
“I don’t want to prejudge anything, but in any case, I would respond to the call. I assume that for such a responsible position, a conversation is always necessary; the best personnel are always needed – those who could respond best at the given moment,” said Mirko Sarovic, a member of SDS.
The appointment of Nebojsa Vukanovic as Minister of Security is in the hands of Chairwoman Borjana Kristo. Kristo is waiting for Vukanovic to be officially proposed by the new coalition. It is clear that the Coalition of the Three parties from the FBiH and a group from RS want to fill the position of Minister of Security as soon as possible, but HDZ BiH is still negotiating. Without the Electoral Law, there is no Minister of Security of BiH.
“This is another message to HDZ that they should unblock the appointment processes, whether it’s Vukanovic or someone else for the position of Minister of Security of BiH,” said Elmedin Konakovic, Minister of Foreign Affairs of BiH.
Parties gathered around SNSD acknowledge that the opposition entered the government when it obtained its representative in the Collegium of the House of Representatives of the PABiH, but they believe that they cannot gain more than that. They claim that it is not possible to change the government.
“The government should always be formed by the election winners, and it was logical for SNSD to form the government with coalition partners, not someone who was an election loser; for that reason, it cannot and will not change, and I think we will have this stalemate until the elections next year,” said Milan Petkovic, a member of United Srpska in the PABiH.
It is clear that SNSD still holds power. Three delegates in the House of Peoples allow it to block, but also to save the personnel of this party. Criminal charges were previously announced for potential blockades, but it is still unclear how to break out of this vicious circle.
