The High Representative, Wolfgang Petritsch, has removed Ivan Djogic, Chief of the Cabinet of the Interior Ministry of Canton 7, Branka Dadic, Head of the Sector for Legal, Personnel and Administrative Issues within the same Ministry and Zvonko Prskalo , the Deputy Head of the Ministry’s Financial Sector, for their declaration of support to the so-called “Croat self-rule”.
The three were suspended from their duties under the High Representative’s decision of April 26th – which also removed the Canton 7 Minister of Interior, Dragan Mandic from Office – for signing a ‘declaration of loyalty’ to the “Croat self-rule”. An investigation undertaken by UNMiBH/IPTF following this decision has shown that all three were in fact instrumental in organising the preparation and issuing of the statement.
All three therefor rejected the normal legal and constitutional process of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) and the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBiH), and it is clear that their actions were likely to lead to civil unrest and a breakdown in law and order. Ministry of Interior is directly responsible for upholding both the constitution ng both the constitution and the law in Canton 7.
The three were informed yesterday of the High Representatives decision, which in addition to removing them from their position in the Ministry of Interior prevents them from receiving any further payment for holding this office, came into effect immediately. The High Representatives decision is to be published without delay in the official Gazette of the FBiH.