Some political parties in the BiH House of Peoples (HoP) today decided to undermine the fight against organized crime, corruption, terrorism, and other serious crimes. Rather than passing amendments to the BiH Criminal Procedure Code that would have allowed police, prosecutors and judges to better investigate, indict, and convict criminals, the House of Peoples delayed the decision, even though Parliament has long missed the deadline established by the Constitutional Court. This is unacceptable, in particular as the amendments – which the House of Representatives has already approved – are in accordance with international standards, and were developed by a BiH expert working group, not by politicians.
The state needs a strong Criminal Procedure Code, which is both constitutional and which allows for the swift pursuit of justice. Today’s decision makes certain party leaders and their representatives in the BiH Parliament directly responsible for the potential further expansion of organized crime and corruption throughout BiH. It is clear that HDZ BiH, SNSD, DNS, and HSS are more interested in party politics than protecting the safety and security of the citizens of BiH.