Envoys Urge Bosnia Canton Not to Politicize Police Posts

Valentin Inzko, the international community's High Representative to Bosnia, and Eric Nelson, the US ambassador to Sarajevo, have sent a letter to the government and assembly of a Canton in Bosnia's Federation entity, expressing alarm over moves to sack the local police commissioner.

They say police chiefs should be appointed and judged on merit, not on political affiliation, reported Klix news website.

The two diplomats criticised the January 2020 report from the Bosnia-Podrinje Canton's independent board for the selection of the police commissioner, which gave the current commissioner, Adem Lakovic, a negative assessment.

The diplomats said the latest assessment was a surprise, given that his October, November and December 2019 reports were all positive.

"We are deeply concerned that the Bosnia-Podrinje Canton Gorazde authorities, and now specifically the Independent Board, continue to disregard the key principles of transparency and accountability," the letter said.

The canton got a new government in April 2019 following the 2018 elections in Bosnia. The new authorities, led by the main Bosniak Party of Democratic Action, SDA, appointed the independent board for the selection of the commissioner in July. Inzko criticised the appointment procedure in September that year.

Inzko and Nelson said officials appointed by independent bodies should not be sanctioned or sacked because the political circumstances have changed, but assessed using objective and professional standards. They also said the authorities should prioritize public safety over political interests.

The canton is due to discuss the independent board's January report in its next session. If the government adopts the report, the procedure to sack the police...