Transparency International in Bosnia and Herzegovina (TIBiH) warns on International Anti-Corruption Day that further setbacks will lead to complete lawlessness and the collapse of institutions, and that urgent pressure must be put on judicial reforms, conflicts of interest, public procurement, the electoral system and the financing of political parties.
“The International Anti-Corruption Day has been marked on December 9 for 17 years, and Bosnia and Herzegovina is experiencing the worst ever results in the fight against corruption. Despite warnings of a dramatic state of corruption from all relevant international institutions and the fact that anti-corruption issues represent most of the 14 priorities set before BiH for EU candidate status, all relevant reports point to BiH’s setbacks in the fight against corruption and the rule of law,” TIBiH said in a press release.
At the same time, it says that, according to the latest Corruption Perceptions Index, BiH is among the countries that have fallen behind the most, and has achieved the worst result since 2012.
“In the latest report for BiH, the European Commission very directly emphasizes the lack of any progress in the implementation of reforms, such as the reform of electoral legislation, judiciary, and other anti-corruption mechanisms, as well as the political captivity of the state, which affects the daily lives of citizens,” TIBIH reports.
Also, the OSCE Report on the Prosecution of Corruption emphasizes a culture of impunity, while Reinhard Priebe states in the Rule of Law Report that the judiciary does not fight serious crime and corruption.
“In the past period, the authorities in BiH not only did not take any steps to improve the legal and institutional framework in the fight against corruption but also directly blocked the adoption of certain laws, such as the Law on Conflict of Interest at all levels and the Law on Public Procurement. The judiciary has not been reformed in the HJPC Law, and the judiciary itself is facing unprecedented corruption scandals, lack of integrity, political influence, and a complete lack of accountability,” TIBiH said.
