The Association of War Invalids in Bosnia’s Federation (FBiH) entity requested the FBiH House of Peoples (HoP) speaker and her deputy to schedule a session so the budget can be adopted for this year which would allow their benefits to be paid out.
The request is addressed to speaker Lidija Bradara, from the Croat Democratic Union (HDZ), and her deputy Jasmin Tufekcic, from the Party for Democratic Action (SDA).
The disabled veterans said that if the FBiH HoP does not adopt a budget by February 12 at the latest, it could bring about “grave consequences for the future normal functioning of FBiH.”
RELATED NEWS
After the October general election in Bosnia, the FBiH entity has been struggling to form its government and parliament. The current House of Peoples is in a so-called technical mandate, meaning that the lawmakers from the previous mandate are still holding their posts and that the newly elected ones have still not been sworn in.
The delay stems from disagreements between Bosnian Croat and Bosniak representatives and the Central Election Commission over how the new mandates will be distributed.
The disabled veterans said they will coordinate with other veteran organisation and “take all appropriate measures and inform their members” of the problem if it is not solved by February 12.
The FBiH Veterans Issues Minister, Salko Bukvarevic, urged the FBiH HoP to adopt the budget proposal and a law on its implementation as soon as possible at a press conference on Wednesday.
“The main point is that, for more than 50 per cent of 90,000 people, the benefits are their only source of income,” Bukvarevic said.
“Now, imagine what it is like for those who only have veterans’ benefits, and now those are being questioned,” he said, adding that the disabled veterans did not deserve “political games to be played over their backs.”
