We regret that the House of Peoples of the BiH Parliamentary Assembly decided today to proceed with the adoption of amendments to the Law on Conflict of Interest in the Institutions of BiH in urgent procedure.
Notwithstanding the outcome of the vital national interest procedure invoked by the Bosniak caucus in the House of Peoples, we wish to reiterate that the proposed amendments have not been subject to proper consultations with all stakeholders.
We are concerned that the proposed Law, as it stands, does not meet relevant international standards for conflict of interest rules. These standards require that the body implementing conflict of interest be independent and have the required expertise. Also, a right to appeal against decisions should be ensured.
The proposed law is vitally important for Bosnia and Herzegovina’s fight against corruption, which is one of the country’s most pressing challenges. The accountability of public office holders and transparency of their activities are of the utmost public interest and represent key democratic principles.
We strongly believe that a discussion of the text is necessary and that the opinion of the Venice Commission to verify the compatibility of the proposed law with international standards should be sought.