The OHR welcomes today’s adoption of Amendments to the FBiH Law on Ministerial, Government and Other Appointments by the FBiH Government. The OHR now calls on the FBiH Parliament to adopt these amendments as they provide a practical solution to the problem of delayed appointments in the Federation in a comprehensive and systematic manner.
The adopted Amendments affirm the principle of continuity of office by providing for continued exercise of duties by current office holders until they are replaced. This ensures that institutions of public interest in the Federation function and meet their legal obligations towards citizens, even when appointments to those institutions are deadlocked. In parallel, the Amendments introduce a deadlock-breaking mechanism, with stringent deadlines, to ensure that office holders in a technical mandate do not stay in office in perpetuity.