PRESS RELEASES AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

Transparency International turns 20

Twenty years ago foreign bribes were a legal tax write-off for multinational corporations in too many countries, there was no way to measure corruption on a global scale and few...

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Transparency International turns 20

Twenty years ago foreign bribes were a legal tax write-off for multinational corporations in too many countries, there was no way to measure corruption on a global scale and few leaders of countries lost their jobs for being corrupt.

International organisations did not focus on promoting transparency and anti-corruption, nor was there a single global agreement among countries aimed at stopping bribery or corruption.

Fast forward to 2013 and corruption has gone from a taboo topic to the most-talked about social challenge in the world. Those seeking to eliminate the abuse of power, secret dealings and bribery have torn down graft-riddled governments from Egypt to Peru.

Not one, but two global agreements between governments around the world seek to stop the scourge of foreign bribery and corruption. Corruption does not stop at international borders, making the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention and the United Nations Convention against Corruption important crime-fighting tools.

Transparency International played an integral role in all of these changes. Our work has taken us many places, including into the corridors of power where we push and lobby for laws that, for example, open up government books so the people know where the money is coming from, how it is spent and who is spending it. It takes us to a small legal advice office in rural India where a father wants help fending off the request for a 500 rupee (US$9) bribe from a school official in order to secure his daughter’s diploma.

Transparency International has helped save citizens’ lives and billions of dollars by stopping secret deals, shedding light on crooked contracts and making bidding and other public processes more open to the public.

It all began in 1993 when Peter Eigen launched Transparency International. A former World Bank senior official, Eigen had waged a campaign inside the institution and across the development aid community to build understanding of how corruption was wrecking anti-poverty projects in many of the world’s poorest countries. He won encouragement on a personal level from an array of senior officials, but the institutions refused to budge. Their leaders said corruption was just too hot to handle. Eigen decided it was time to act.

In February 1993, Eigen and a group of some 20 allies from a dozen countries met in The Hague to approve the charter document that established Transparency International. In May a conference was held in Berlin and the organisation commenced the long struggle against secret dealings, bribery and the abuse of power.

With the first two decades under our belt, now is the time to look ahead and ask ourselves where will we be in the next 20 years and what will we need to do to get there.

An important clue to the future lies in the events of the last two years when citizens from Tahrir Square to Wall Street decided to say “Enough is enough”, toppling corrupt regimes and demanding corporations who bring too much risk to the global economy be removed.

The battle against corruption can no longer only take place within the halls of government, it must now be waged from a broad public base and engage new constituencies like the business community and other non-governmental organisations or football fans.

As we saw in Cairo and within the Occupy Wall Street movement, technology will increasingly be used to bring people together quickly to challenge the status quo.

Looking ahead, Transparency International will create a succinct, clear and accessible statement of people-centred principles outlining what people all over the world can do to stand up and successfully resist corruption.

Carousel image credit: Flickr/a.Andres

Roundtable on Legislative Amendments to the Law on Conflict of Interest

Sarajevo, 8. februar 2013. -- Transparency International Bosne i Hercegovine (TI BiH) organizuje Okrugli sto o izmjenama zakonskog okvira o sukobu interesa, na kojem će se...

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Roundtable on Legislative Amendments to the Law on Conflict of Interest

Considering that the Amendments on both Laws have been sent to the Institutions for their adoption procedures, this will be an opportunity to present those Amendments to the public, and to launch a public debate on quality of provided solutions and their consequences for the Institute of Conflict of Interest in BiH. This opportunity will be also used for establishing of the dialogue between the proponents of the Law, the Institutions that implement the Laws on Conflict of Interest, and civil society in order to improve transparency of creating the legislative framework, and to create the highest quality legal solutions.

The roundtable will be attended by the representatives of the Central Election Commission, the Commission for Determining Conflict of Interest in Institutions of the Republic of Srpska, the legislative and executive state authorities, international institutions, civil society and the media.

Roundtable on Legislative Amendments to the Laws on Conflict of Interest will be held on Monday 11th February 2013. , starting at 11.00 am in the Hotel Europe in Sarajevo.

High Risk of Corruption in BiH Defense Sector

London, 29. januar 2013. – Transparency International Velike Britanije, u okviru Programa odbrane i sigurnosti, objavio je Antikorupcijski indeks u sektoru odbrane (Government...

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High Risk of Corruption in BiH Defense Sector

London, 29th January 2013- Transparency International UK, within the Programme for Defense and Security, has released the Government Defense Anti-Corruption Index, which analyses what 82 countries do to reduce corruption risks. Countries included in the Study accounted for 94% of the global military expenditure in 2011, equivalent to $1.6 trillion. Each country is scored in bands from very low risks of corruption (A) critical risk (F), according to detailed assessment across 77 indicators that cover five prominent risk areas in the sector: politics, finance, personnel, operations, and procurement.

According to the first ever index measuring how governments prevent corruption in the defense sector indicates that 70% of countries leave the door open to waste and security threats as they lack the tools to prevent corruption in the defense sector. Countries with poor controls include two-thirds of the largest arms importers and half of the biggest arms exporters in the world. Germany and Australia are the only countries that have strong anti-corruption mechanisms, which include a robust parliamentary oversight, very strict standards for the companies in the defense sector and responsible intelligence agencies. On the other side, there are nine countries- Algeria, Angola, Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Eritrea, Libya, Syria and Yemen- which exhibit critical risk of corruption thanks to lack of basic control and accountability mechanisms. In the Appendix 1 there is a general overwiev of the raitings for all the countries included in the study.

Bosnia and Herzegovina has been marked with a band D, which implies high risk of coruption. Comparing with the political risks,even though regulations for the control of formal policy of the defense and security exist there is no transparency in the decision making process or effective supervision over the defese and security budget.

When it comes to financial risks, control over the distribution of property has yet to be established, while at the same time media reports have been pointing to an illegal sale of assets and weapons. Although, the audit reports have been delivered to the Parliament the percentage of the defense and security budget allocated to the ‘’secret items’’ is unavailable to the public. In terms of personnel, there are no laws which would protect whistleblowers and facilitate reporting irregularities. Even though the formal system for appointing and promoting of the personnel exists, in practice some irregularities have been identified. Although corruption is not recognized as a strategic issue in military doctrine, within the category of operational risks, the personnel has been subjected to training on corruption, including corruption in the procurement process. When it comes to procurement area, there is lack of oversight mechanism in the legal framework. Bidders are not subjected to the special demands to compliance with the provision of the law and codes and, also there is lack of sanctions for collusion among bidders. Ratings for individual indicators for Bosnia and Herzegovina are located in Appendix 2.

Transparency International calls on governments to make this traditionally secretive sector, which involves large public contracts, more open to the public. Defense establishments should increase citizens’ access to information about defense budgets and procurement. Legislators should have stronger controls and oversight of the sector, as well as the will to prevent corruption.

Appendix 1. General Overwiev

A-Very low risk of corruption (2 countries): AUSTRALIA, GERMANY

B-Low risk (7 Countries): AUSTRIA, NORWAY, SOUTH KOREA, SWEDEN, TAIWAN, UNITED KINGDOM, UNITED STATES

C-Moderate risk (16 countries): ARGENTINA, BRAZIL, BULGARIA, CHILE, COLOMBIA, CROATIA, CZECH REPUBLIC, FRANCE, GREECE, HUNGARY, ITALY, JAPAN, LATVIA, POLAND, SLOVAKIA, SPAIN

D- High level (30 countries):

D+ BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA, CYPRUS, INDIA, ISRAEL, KENYA, KUWAIT,L EBANON, MEXICO, NEPAL, SERBIA, SINGAPORE, SOUTH AFRICA, THAILAND,UKRAINE, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES (UAE)

D== BANGLADESH, BELARUS, CHINA, ETHIOPIA, GEORGIA, GHANA, JORDAN,

KAZAKHSTAN, MALAYSIA, PAKISTAN, PALESTINE, RUSSIA, RWANDA,

TANZANIA, TURKEY

E- Very high level (18 countries): AFGHANISTAN, BAHRAIN, COTE D’IVOIRE, INDONESIA, IRAN, IRAQ, MOROCCO,NIGERIA, OMAN, PHILIPPINES, QATAR, SAUDI ARABIA, SRI LANKA, TUNISIA,UGANDA, UZBEKISTAN, VENEZUELA, ZIMBABWE

F- Critical level (9 countries): ALGERIA, ANGOLA, CAMEROON, DRC, EGYPT, ERITREA, LIBYA,

SYRIA, YEMEN

Appendix 2 Ratings for individual indicators

Legislative Scrutiny3
Defence Committee2
Defence and Pollicy Debated2
CSO Engagement2
International AC Instruments2
Defence and Secutiry PolicingPublic Debate2
AC Pollicy2
AC Institutions2
Public Trust1
Risk Assessments0
Acquisition Planning2
BudgetBudget Transparency & Detall4
Budget Scrutiny2
Budget Publicly Available2
POLITICAL-47%Defence Income1
Internal Audit2
Eksternal Audit2
Natural Resources3
Organised Crime Links1
Other Political AreasOrganiced Crime Pollicing1
Intelligence Services Oversight2
Intelligence Services Recruitment1
Export Control2
Assets DisposalAssets Disposal Control1
Assets Disposal Scrutiny1
Procentage Secret Spemding0
FINACING-45%Secret BudgetsLegislative Access to Information0
Secret Program Auditing3
Off-budget Spending in Law4
Off-budget Spending in Practice
Information Classification1
Mill. Owned Business Exist2
Links to BusinessMill. Owned Business Scrutiny2
Unauthorised Private Enterprise4
Public Commitment3
LidershipMeasures for Corrupted Personnel2
Whistleblowing0
Special Attention To Sensitive Personnel1
PERSONNEL- 53%Numbers of Personnel Known3
Pay Rates Openly Published2
Payroll and RecruitmentWell-established Payment System3
Objective Appointments2
Objective Promotions2
ConscriptionBribery to Avoid Compulsory Conscription
Bribery for Preferred Postings
Salary ChainGhost soldiers3
Chain of Command and Payment3
Code of Conduct Coverage1
Values, Standards, OtherCode of Conduct Breaches Addressed1
AC Training3
Prosecution Outcomes Transparent3
Facilitation Payments2
Military Doctrine1
Controles in the FieldOperational Training3
OPERATIONS-55%AC Monitoring2
Controls on Contracting3
Private Military Contractors2
Legislation2
Goverment PolicyTransparent Procurement Cycle2
Oversight Mechanism2
Purchases Disclosed2
Standards Expected of Companies1
Capability GapStrategy Drives Requirements1
Requirements Quantified3
TenderingOpen Competition vs Single-Sourcing3
PROCUREMENTS-41%Tender Board Control2
Anti-Collusion Controls0
Contract DeliverySupportProcurement Staff Training2
Complaint Mechanism for Firms3
Sanction For Corruption2
Due dilligence
OffsetsTransparency
Competition Regulation
Control of Agents0
Transparency of Financing Packages2
OtherSubsidaries Sub-Contractors0
Political Influence1

The Collaboration between the University of Sarajevo and Transparency International BiH

U četvrtak 17. januara 2013. godine u prostorijama Rektorata Univerziteta u Sarajevu održan je sastanak na kojem su razmatrane aktivnosti na realizaciji Memoranduma o saradnji...

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The Collaboration between the University of Sarajevo and Transparency International BiH

at which it was discussed about activities of the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding between the University of Sarajevo and Transparency International Bosnia and Herzegovina (TI BiH). The meeting was attended by representatives of Transparency International BiH: Mr. Emir Đikić, Chairman of the Board of Directors,  Ms. Ivana Korajlić, head of the program, and members of the management of the University: PH.D.Muharem Avdispahić, rector and PH.D. Ugo Vlaisavljević, and provosts, PH.D. Faruk Mekić and Ph.D.Dženan Đonlagić.

Memorandum of Understanding between University of Sarajevo and Transparency International BiH was signed on 22nd September 2011. The Memorandum defines the mechanisms and modes of collaboration in the field of prevention and fight against corruption and assurance of the integrity and quality in higher education. On 27thDecember 2012. the Senate of the University of Sarajevo at the session held adopted document of the Federal Ministry of Education and Science under the name ‘’ Program of Measures for Prevention of Corruption in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina’’. Also, Transparency International took part in the drafting of this document.

At the meeting, it was also discussed about the next steps of cooperation in proposing and adopting of the acts relating to the prevention of corruption and principals of the work of ethics committees at public universities in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The Decline of Transparency in Public Procurement in BiH

Monitoring provođenja Zakona o javnim nabavkama ukazao na povećanje netransparentnosti i brojne zloupotrebe koje smanjuju konkurenciju i favorizuju pojedine ponuđače, dok u...

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The Decline of Transparency in Public Procurement in BiH

Banja Luka, 26th December 2012. – Transparency International Bosnia and Herzegovina (TI BiH) has issued a report on Monitoring of the Implementation of the Law on Public Procurement, within the activities of monitoring the implementation of Anti-Corruption Reforms in BiH conducted in collaboration with the Open Society Fund (OSF).

The Monitoring findings have indicated the lack of transparency in public procurement because open participation in the overall procurement fell from about 91% in 2008, to 37% in 2011. This is primarily due to amendments to the Law on Public Procurement in 2009 which has raised the limit for direct agreements and led to a reduction of the number of public procurement conducted in open bidding procedures.

The abuses in the implementation of the Law have been caused by the arbitrary interpretation of regulations, poor coordination between the institutions at all levels, and lack of accountability of individuals in all major segments of corruption prevention in this area. The price of tender documentation or the way of its acquiring from the very start discourage some providers of goods, services or work, while during the preparation of the documentation some specific criteria have been defined  which favor certain bidders.

Adequate supervision of the public procurement process has not been established yet by the Public Procurement Agency and the Procurement Review Body, and there are no consequences for non-transparent and illegal procurement. Termination of proceedings for almost 80% of decisions on complaints of bidder does not end in their favor, but they are ended mostly by irregular canceling of procurement by contraction authorities. So far a single bidder has not been reimbursed.

There is no an adequate response from the judiciary – delay in passing judgments makes them irrelevant, because it is impossible to correct an irregular procurement process after two or three years, and numerous reports of the Audit  Services indicating irregularities in the implementation of public procurement procedures have not resulted in adequate investigations.

On top of all the above, instead of adopting a new law on public procurement, which would enhance oversight and allow more effective control, political parties, have sent to the Council of Ministers a proposal to increase taxes for appeals (from the 500KM to a whopping 25,000KM, depending on the value of procurement). Such proposed costs of the appeal would represent tremendous disincentive discrimination of aggrieved bidders in procurement process, and would send a dangerous message to the business world and to the citizens that any attempt to combat irregularities and corruption in public procurement and countering financial oligarchs, who often receive and supply contracts, is a losing battle.

Bosnia and Herzegovina Captured by the Interests of Six Individuals

The act of amending very important laws of Bosnia and Herzegovina, such as the Election Law, the Law on Conflict of Interest, the Law on the High Judicial and Prosecutorial...

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Bosnia and Herzegovina Captured by the Interests of Six Individuals

The act of amending very important laws of Bosnia and Herzegovina, such as the Election Law, the Law on Conflict of Interest, the Law on the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council, the Law on Civil Service etc. by the agreement of just six people, under urgent amendment procedure and without any public debate, represents dictatorial and undemocratic act of the ruling parties.

Political parties in power, and their six leaders, hereby try and officially confirm that they have absolute control over all processes in Bosnia and Herzegovina, positioning themselves above the legislation, and by the amendments to the Law on Civil Service and the Law on Conflict of Interests they additionally verify their power as well as the complete immunity to sanctions for violating the law.

Such behavior of the political parties, and the fact that none of the authorized institutions on which the implementation of these laws would have devastating effects have not reacted, show  that Bosnia and Herzegovina is not a democratic country, but the state captured by the six individuals.

In the next few days, signatories of the statement shall send their open letter regarding the amendments to the laws to the Council of Ministers and the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina, regardless of their efforts to hide the amendments to the laws from public insight. At the same time, we are taking the opportunity to invite all other civil society groups to oppose the destruction of the legal framework and parliamentary democracy in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Signatories of the statement:

Transparency International Bosnia and Herzegovina

Centers for Civic Initiatives

Open Society Fund Bosnia and Herzegovina

UG Why not?

Helsinki Committee for Human Rights RS

Center for the Promotion of Civil Society

The European Research Center

Conference on Integrity of Higher Education and prevention of Corruption

The goal of this conference is to identify effective mechanisms for prevention of corruption at universities in the region with the aim of creating a transparent and accountable...

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Conference on Integrity of Higher Education and prevention of Corruption

The goal of this conference is to identify effective mechanisms for prevention of corruption at universities in the region with the aim of creating a transparent and accountable system of higher education, and to provide equal access to education and to strengthen trust in universities, which has been shaken due to a number of corruption scandals which have shaken not just Bosnia, but also other countries in the region.

Conference will focus on the discussion about the solutions which have so far yielded results in the fight against corruption in higher education, and on proposals for strengthening the integrity of higher education institutions.

The conference will be held on 12th and 13th December at the Hotel Europe in Sarajevo. The first day of the conference (starting from 13:00 p.m.) will be devoted to discussion about ensuring integrity in higher education and pre-requisites for effective prevention of corruption.  The second day (starting from 10:00 a.m.) will be devoted to comparison of the regional experiences. The conference speakers shall be representatives of organizations and institutions from Serbia, Croatia, Romania and Bosnia and Herzegovina with participation of representatives of the BiH universities and the institutions in charge of implementation of laws on higher education.

The conference will be open to the press, and the agenda is attached.

Zer0tolerance4corruption for the ninth time in Banja Luka

A special segment of the International Anti-Corruption Day is dedicated to the young population, within a general orientation of TI for prevention of corruption through work with...

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Zer0tolerance4corruption for the ninth time in Banja Luka

A special segment of the International Anti-Corruption Day is dedicated to the young population, within a general orientation of TI for prevention of corruption through work with young people. On the occasion of the International Anti-Corruption Day TI BiH organizes a partyt for young people called ‘’Zero Tolerance For Corruption Party’’.  During past nine years, the most renowned musicians of electronic music have performed at these parties and have gathered a large number of young people from BiH and the region, which have made Banja Luka recognizable by this event.

This year, the party will be held on 14th December 2012. in DFK Club in Banja Luka where performers will be  DJ Kormac from Ireland and Cayetano Soundsystem from Greece, who are with indispensable Parov Stelar considered leaders of the musical direction electro swing.

Presentation of the findings of the National Integrity System Assessment in BiH

Pozivaju se svi mediji konferenciju koju organizuje Transparency International Bosne i hercegovine povodom Međunarodnog dana borbe protiv korupcije koji se obilježava 9....

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Presentation of the findings of the National Integrity System Assessment in BiH

The Conference is part of the project “National Integrity System Assessment in Bosnia and Herzegovina”, funded by the European Union in the amount of 135.711,69 Euro and implemented by the Transparency International BiH.

The conference will start with opening remarks by Mr. Emir Đikić, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Transparency International BiH, Mr. Mladen Ćavar, Deputy BiH Minister of Security and Dr. Renzo Daviddi, Deputy Head of the Delegation of the European Union to BiH.

Presentation of the findings of the National Integrity System (NIS) Assessment will follow. The NIS Assessment offers a qualitative and quantitative evaluation of the legal basis and the actual performance of institutions relevant to the overall anticorruption system. The NIS assessment analyses three dimensions – the capacity of individual institutions to function, their internal governance in terms of integrity, transparency and accountability, and their role in contributing to the overall integrity of the state governance system.

The final part of the Conference is discussion on the issue of Rule of Law and the Fight against Corruption in the Context of European integration.

Attached is the agenda of the Conference which is opened to media.

For more information, please contact:

Srđan Blagovčanin, Executive Director, Transparency International BiH

Corruption is still a major barrier to BiH stability

Indeks percepcije korupcije (CPI) pokazuje da BiH stagnira na polju borbe protiv krupcije i da se još uvijek nalazi u rangu sa zemljama u kojima korupcija predstavlja ozbiljan...

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Corruption is still a major barrier to BiH stability

Sarajevo, December 5, 2012 – Transparency International published the Corruption Perceptions Index 2012, which ranks Bosnia and Herzegovina 72nd out of 176 countries this year with a score of 42 (on the scale of 0-100). That is still below the midpoint of 50, placing Bosnia and Herzegovina below most European countries. CPI also shows that majority of 176 countries scored below the average, indicating that corruption represents a serious threat throughout the world.

The index shows Bosnia and Herzegovina cannot be complacent with its ranking given its aspirations of becoming a member of the European Union. The only state to join the EU in the region of the former Yugoslavia over the last 10 years is Slovenia with a CPI rank of 37, showing that BIH has a long path to go in fighting corruption, to be considered a serious partner within EU.

Furthermore, CPI shows that BiH remains closely-ranked with countries where corruption is a major problem, and a barrier to growth, stability and investment. Bosnia and Herzegovina shares 72nd position with Sao Tome and Principe and Italy. When it comes to countries from the region the highest ranked is still Slovenia (37th), while the lowest ranked is Albania (113th).

The results of the new CPI indicate that Bosnia and Herzegovina is stagnating, as seen in other surveys that show that there is no progress in fighting corruption in BiH. European Commission warned only two months ago that corruption is prevalent and that no significant efforts have been invested in tackling this issue, including a total lack of implementation of Anti-Corruption Strategy.  Bosnia and Herzegovina still needs to face with high-level political corruption, non-transparent management and misappropriation of public funds, through dubious subventions and public procurement, and corruption in public sector, in order to move up on the CPI list.

TI BiH Presents Municipal Transparency Ranking in Bosnia and Herzegovina

One of the main activities of the project is the transparency index for municipality in BiH. It will set the basis for further activities relating to the improvement of...

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TI BiH Presents Municipal Transparency Ranking in Bosnia and Herzegovina

One of the main activities of the project is the transparency index for municipality in BiH. It will set the basis for further activities relating to the improvement of transparency of those municipalities which show weak results on the transparency and openness of municipalities ranking list.

On this occasion a specially designed application will be presented, which allows ranking of municipality transparency index and their mutual comparison, and an interactive map of municipalities with basic information on the index scale.

The presentation will be held on Monday, 3rd December 2012. in the Atrium Hall of the Hotel Europe in Sarajevo, starting at 12 o’clock pm and it is open to the media.

President of the CEC Prevents Sanctioning of Political Parties

Odbijajući da na dnevni red CIK stavi odluku o sankcionisanju stranaka za kršenje Zakona o finansiranju partija, postoji opravdana sumnja da predsjednik CIK, Brako Petrić,...

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President of the CEC Prevents Sanctioning of Political Parties

Banja Luka, 29th November 2012.- The Persident of the Central Election Commission (CEC) Branko Petric by refusing to put on the agenda of the CEC the decision on sanctioning of 13 political parties for violation of provisions of the Law on Financing of Political Parties,  prepared by the Audit Service, put himself directly in the service of protection of political paties, especially SNSD,SDP and HDZ 1990 for which monetray sanctioncs should have been imposed.

Namely, the Audit Service has established that 13 political parties are responsible for violation of the Law on Financing of Political Parties in BiH. The investigation was opened on the basis of irregularities in found in the audit of the Annul Financial Reports for 2010. and post-ellection financial reports (General Election 2010). These irregularities have been related to profit gained from assets not owned by the political parties, inadequate transaction records such as absence of bills for paid services, unreported donations and contributions from prohibited sources.

The Audit Service in accordance with the conclusion from the CEC assembly, held on 16th August 2012, instituted procedings against 32 political parties on suspicon of violating the Law on Financing of Political Paries in BIH. So far 13 cases have been completes and proposed penalties range from 500 to 30,000KM, but official verdict has been prevented.

Considering the fact that the new Law on Financing of Political Parties  in BiH, published in the Official Gazette on 27th November 2012, has considerably milder than the former one and majority of committed offenses would not be sanctioned by its implementation, there is a resonable suspicion  that the President of the CEC is waiting for  5th December  2012., when the implementation of the new Law starts, in order to prevent sanctioning of the political parties for detected and irregularities determineded during the control of their financial operations in 2010.

Transparency Internationa of Bosnia and Herzegovina calls on members of the Central Election Commission to demand an emergency meeting and decide whether to sanction 13 political parties for the irregularities detected in 2010., highlighting that they cannot implement provisions of the new Law on Financing of Political Parties for offences committed two years ago.

Annulment of the Decision of the Central Election Commission to NSRZB is Unfounded

Odluka Apelacionog odjela Suda BiH da poništi odluku CIK BiH o sankcionisanju Narodne stranke Radom za boljitak neosnovana i predstavlja još jedan udar na efikasnost provođenja...

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Annulment of the Decision of the Central Election Commission to NSRZB is Unfounded

Banja Luka, 22nd November 2012 – Transparency International Bosnia and Herzegovina (TI BiH) considers that the annulment of the decision of the Central Election Commission to sanction Narodna stranka radom za boljitak (People’s Party Work for Progress) is unfounded, and that the decision of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court BiH impedes the effective implementation of the Election Law and the Law on Financing of Political Parties.

Even though the CEC has established a clear connection between the campaigns of the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry and NSRZB, including nearly identical visual identity and slogan, and has sanctioned the political party with a monetary penalty in the amount of 10,000 KM, the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court BiH considers that these campaigns are not connected. It has also been stated that the contract between the Ministry and the marketing agency was signed the day before the beginning of the election year. However, the campaign conducted by the Ministry, which has also promoted the vice president of  NSRZB, started and was carried out during the election year, and even before the beginning of the election campaign.

Furthermore, it has been stated in the decision of the Appellate Division that the CEC has made its decision based on the media reports, although TI BiH, which filed the report against this party, submitted signed contracts between the Ministry and S V – R.S.A Ltd. Sarajevo and Team System Ltd., and in addition the CEC was in possession of the complete documentation on the implementation of the campaign.

Despite the apparent violations of law and visible abuses, the decision of the Central Election Commission is annulled, which represents an additional blow on the trust in the judiciary and undermines consistency in law enforcement by the Central Election Commission.

TI BiH Started the Campaign at University of Zenica

This opportunity is being used for promoting newspapers which contain students’ stories on corruption in education, under the name ‘Corruption Circus’. In this way TI BiH...

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TI BiH Started the Campaign at University of Zenica

This opportunity is being used for promoting newspapers which contain students’ stories on corruption in education, under the name ‘Corruption Circus’. In this way TI BiH tries to inform students of their rights, and to motivate them to confront and report corruption. TI BiH shall continue with the campaign at universities in Tuzla, Mostar, Banja Luka and Sarajevo.

Draft on the Law on Financing of Political Parties in BiH Encourages Corruption

Banja Luka, 15.novembar 2012. – Transparency International Bosne i Hercegovine upozorava delegate Doma naroda Parlamentarne skupštine BiH da Zakon o finansiranju političkih...

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Draft on the Law on Financing of Political Parties in BiH Encourages Corruption

Banja Luka, 15th November 2012.- TI BiH considers that particularly problematic changes are related to the Article 6 which increases donations from legal bodies within a year, from the current 15 average wages (about 12,000) to 50,000, and the limit for individual persons is being increased from 8 salaries (about 6,400) to 10,000.

For the first time, a provision has been introduced which prescribes that a party member may remit an amount up to 15,000 KM (including membership fee) within a year, which provides opportunity for manipulation due to the fact that parties may have increased the number of fictively signed members to ensure large extent of allowable donations. Department of the OSCE Mission ODIHR in its analysis of the current Law on Financing Political Parties in BiH has clearly warned that the ‘’ risk of circumvention of restriction is presented by using mediators to carry out the payments’’.

Therefore, TI BiH appeals to delegates of the House of People of Parliamentary Assembly of BiH to reject the change in the Article 6 and prevent increasing limits on donations of the legal and individual persons, particularly introduction of a new member’s category. Instead of increasing the limits on donations and grants TI BiH invites delegates to incorporate into the legal provisions solutions for transparency and effective supervision of spending these funds.

Also, in accordance with recommendation of the Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) of the Council of Europe, in order to conduct effective oversight, TI BiH recommends the incorporation of single account for receiving donations and other sources of income, as well as payments of the costs of political parties and election candidates, into proposed provision.

TI BiH reiterates that under the Law on Financing of Political Parties in BiH tougher  sanctions for its violation must have been prescribed and defined, and strengthening the role and capacity of the Central Election Commission in the  process of controlling the financial operations of political parties.

Appealing to the delegates of the House of Peoples, TI BIH invites them to prevent destruction of legal framework and supervision of financing of political parties.

Narodna stranka radom za boljitak has been penalized based on TI BiH Report

Na osnovu prijave koju je uputio Transparency International BiH, Centralna izborna komisija BiH izrekla je novčanu sankciju Narodnoj stranci Radom za boljitak, zbog zloupotrebe...

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Narodna stranka radom za boljitak has been penalized based on TI BiH Report

Banja Luka, 9th November  2012 – Based on the complaint filed by the Transparency International Bosnia and Herzegovina (TI BiH) to the Central Election Commission against Narodna stranka radom za boljitak (People’s Party Work for Progress), the Central Election Commission, has imposed the maximum fine prescribed by the Law in the amount of 10.000 KM fore violation of the Election Law.

In the statement of the Central Election Commission has been determined that, within the period from the date of announcement of the elections till the official start of the election campaign the, the party has been responsible for violation of the Rules of Conduct in the Article 16 Item 3 of the Election Law of Bosnia and Herzegovina, or the rules relating to promotion outside the prescribed duration of the campaign.

TI BiH welcomes the decision of the Central Election Commission, especially because of the fact that similar misuses of funds and functions of the Institutions by the parties in BiH have been present for years. Also, TI BiH hopes that relevant institutions shall examine the fact that the resources of the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry, in the amount of 3.7 million KM, have not been spent transparently. It has been also indicated in the reports of the Audit Offices of the FBiH that the funds have been used for personal promotion of Minister Lijanovic and promotion of the party of which he belongs to.

The decision of the Central Election Commission clearly displays the interrelation between  ’’Buy Domestic’’ campaign of the Ministry and the campaign of NSRzB. TI BiH expects from the Minister Jerko Lijanovic to show the minimum responsibility and resign from the post of Minister of Agriculture, Water and Forestry.

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