Today the High Representative, Valentin Inzko, issued a decision extending the period of temporary financing of the city of Mostar from 1 April to 30 September. The decision will allow Mostar City employees like civil servants, the fire brigade and other city employees, to receive their salaries and other benefits.
This decision does not apply to remuneration for Mostar City councillors or to the financing and other payments made to political parties or parliamentary groups, who are excluded from the High Representative’s temporary financing decision. Under the decision, councillors and political parties will have to wait until a new Mayor is elected and a budget adopted by the Mostar City Council before receiving payments.
Explaining his decision, HR Inzko said; “The behaviour of the city councillors in Mostar and their political parties has reached the height of cynicism and is unacceptable. By failing to elect a Mayor and provide the basis for the continued funding of city services, they have inflicted Mostar city residents with unnecessary suffering and aggravation, and placed lives at risk. I see no reason why the city councillors and political parties should be paid if they are not going to do the jobs for which they were elected and those who are indeed working, like the brave firemen, not to receive salaries for months. They are paid to work, not not to work. Citizens gave mandate to councillors to choose Mayor and they failed to do this.”
The council no longer even maintains the pretence of holding sessions and the parties have never engaged in serious negotiations; instead they have sought to blame the City Statute for their own political lassitude. “Some councillors have even left for summer holidays,” said the High Representative. “On the other hand, the situation for city employees and residents is untenable and I had to act to restore institutions abilities to provide city services in Mostar”.
This decision does not release the elected councillors from their obligation to elect a Mayor, or the subsequent adoption of the City budget. “It is now in their own interest to urgently appoint the Mayor and adopt the budget in order to receive payments”, said the High Representative. “In order to ensure that City employees are no longer held hostage by the politicians I have decided to extend temporary financing, which will ensure payment of outstanding salaries to 30 September and the almost normal functioning of the city, sports events and similar activities.”
The High Representative thanked all Mostar’s civil servants who have continued to work professionally despite not having received a salary over recent months. “If the politicians in Mostar cannot use the extra time given by my decision to resolve the situation in Mostar further measures are not excluded,” said Valentin Inzko.