Grozd Accuses: Democracy Hijacked

GROZD

29 October 2007

The GROZD civic association addressed an open letter to the House of Representatives of FBiH Parliament, condemning the draft-Law on Elections, Termination, Recall and Replacement of Municipal Mayors in BiH Federation, submitted by Jozo Ivanicevic, for the Croatian Unity coalition (HDZ 1990 HZ-HSS-HKDU-HDU-Demo Christians).

According to GROZD, the Draft is a grave violation of main democratic principles in local self-government, providing for reintroduction of possibility for city councils to remove an elected Mayor with a two-thirds vote.

- Why would the citizens elect a Mayor in the first place, if council members can replace him or her at will, either because a given party holds majority in a council or because of personal ambitions, which we have seen many times before, asks GROZD and addes that the draft-law i opposed to the basic democratic principle that only those that voted a person in can vote for his or her recall.

According to GROZD, if the proposal is adopted, the biggest price will be paid by the citizens, who are robbed of the little democracy and participation in local government they have.

Similar initiative was started by the Union of FBiH Cities and Municipalities, which will appoint a representative that will present the Union�s views at the coming session of the House of Representatives.

GROZD also noted that no consultations with civil society organizations and citizens were conducted prior to making such a proposal.

- We invite on the MPs to not allow for the draft to enter the agenda, and if it does go for a vote, to renounce it and prove that they truly represent the interests of the citizens, as they promised in the election campaign, demands the open letter.