New Bosnian Serb Govt to Vet State Companies

Republika Srpska’s new Prime Minister Zeljka Cvijanovic said after a cabinet session on Sunday that all top public positions could be subject to change after a planned ‘inventory’ of institutions in the Serb-dominated entity.

Cvijanovic said she was referring to directors of public companies, funds, institutions, governing bodies, boards and agencies, adding that the government plans to analyse the functioning of all Republika Srpska’s institutions with the view that if ministers can be replaced, directors can too.

“The government will do a comprehensive analysis... and bring in suitable measures whether in personnel, organisational or functional issues,” Cvijanovic said, adding that the aim was to improve the overall functioning of institutions in Republika Srpska, one of Bosnia’s two political entities.

Relevant ministries will be responsible for conducting the public-sector probes and identifying any problems, she said, insisting that it was not a politically-motivated operation.

“We just take the view that we should go into every sector and make a sort of inventory,” she said.

The new government also discussed ways to pay agricultural subsidies after running up a debt of more than 14 million euro last year.

Cvijanovic said that the issue was a priority and promised that the government would have a solution by the end of the month.

The new government was formed last week after former Prime Minister Aleksandar Dzombic resigned on February 27, reportedly after losing support from the ruling Alliance of Independent Social Democrats, SNSD, led by Republika Srpska’s President Milorad Dodik.

Cvijanovic has promised action against unemployment and corruption and for fiscal and social stability in the entity.

The SNSD brought in six new ministers, while its coalition partners in the Republika Srpska government, the Socialist Party and the Democratic People's Alliance proposed to keep their previous ministers in place. One further ministry was given to the Croat Democratic Union.