New government in FBiH may solve political issues

Politicians said the vote of no confidence was long in coming.

By Bedrana Kaletovic for Southeast European Times in Sarajevo -- 23/02/13

The FBiH government failed a vote of confidence. [Government of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina]

Politicians in Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBiH) said they hope that a new cabinet will restore public trust and resolve the ongoing political standoff after the government lost a no-confidence vote.

"The federal government no longer operates well, and it is inevitable that the changes must be made. Citizens no longer have trust in politicians and politicians are considered to be incompetent and frivolous," Ivo Tadic, an MP for HDZ BH, said.

"The no-confidence vote will ultimately serve to bring back trust in government," FBiH Prime Minister Nermin Niksic told SETimes.

The Social Democratic Party's (SDP) state-level coalition with the Party of Democratic Action (SDA) fell apart in May 2012 after the SDA refused to support the proposed state budget. The SDP then found itself a new partner in Alliance for a Better Future (SBB) and in the two main Croatian parties.

SDA ministers were expelled from the state-level government in October, but the reconstruction of the FBiH government has taken longer due to legal hurdles and the opposition of FBiH President Zivko Budimir.

Since the February 12th vote of no confidence, Budimir said he will not oppose the appointment of a new government.

Until a new election, for which a date has not been set, the government's activities will be limited, said Jasenko Selimovic, president of the SDP representatives' group in the FBiH House of Representatives.

"The government will perform only essential activities to ensure it will fulfill its international obligations as well as activities necessary for the FBiH entity to function," Selimovic told SETimes.

Selimovic said the government cannot make decisions or adopt acts that would create a financial burden for FBiH without the approval of the BiH parliament.

But some do not agree with the outcome of the vote of no confidence.

"This is a shameful decision. The government will continue to work until the elections, but not in a way it was agreed on," Ismet Osmanovic, president of the SDA in the FBiH's House of Representatives, told SETimes.

Many citizens said the vote of no confidence is a pre-election show to deflect and cover up the perceived government inaction and negligence.

"I want to see progress in this country, for me and my children, not politicians who have not done anything for the country since the election," Emir Spahovic, a teacher from Sarajevo, told SETimes.

Source: SETimes.com