With the election of Ljubo Beslic to the post of Mostar City Mayor the preconditions for adopting Mostar’s 2009 City Budget by 24 December have been created.
According to the amended Statute,the Mostar City Mayor shall propose a City Budget for 2009 and the Decision on the execution of the City Budget for 2009 within three days of his election. Then, within three days of the Mayor proposing a budget, the Speaker of the City Council shall convene a session to consider adoption of the Budget for 2009.
The High Representative’s Decision requires that all political parties represented in the City Council shall ensure that their Councilors in the City Council attend and actively participate in the session to consider adoption of the Budget.
The OHR notes that should the City Council fail to adopt the City Budget for 2009 during this session, the Mayor, after considering the objections that prevented the adoption of the budget by the City Council, shall use his legal prerogative to proclaim the budget adopted in line with Article 18 paragraph 3 of the Law on Principles of Local Self-Government in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
OHR expects that within six days the legitimate expectations of Mostar’s citizens will finally be addressed.