TI BiH: The state of corruption is getting worse, institutions are devastated

On the International Anti-Corruption Day, Transparency International in BiH warns that further setbacks will lead to complete lawlessness and the collapse of institutions, and that urgent pressure must be put on reforms in the areas of justice, conflict of interest, public procurement, electoral system and political party financing. .

Banja Luka, 9. December 2020 — The International Anti – Corruption Day is marked on the 9th. December for 17 years, and Bosnia and Herzegovina is experiencing the worst results in the fight against corruption since then. Despite warnings of a dramatic state of corruption from all relevant international institutions and the fact that anti-corruption issues represent most of the 14 priorities set for BiH’s EU candidate status, all relevant reports point to BiH’s setback in the fight against corruption and the rule of law.

According to the latest Corruption Perceptions Index, BiH is among the countries that have fallen behind the most, with the worst result since 2012. . In its latest report for BiH, the European Commission very directly emphasizes the lack of any progress in implementing reforms, such as reform of electoral legislation, judiciary and other anti-corruption mechanisms, as well as the political captivity of the state, which affects the daily lives of citizens. The OSCE report on the prosecution of corruption highlights a culture of impunity, while Reinhard Priebe says in a report on the rule of law that the judiciary does not fight serious crime and corruption.

In the past period, the authorities in BiH have not only not taken any steps to improve the legal and institutional framework in the fight against corruption, but have also directly blocked the adoption of certain laws, such as the Law on Conflict of Interest at All Levels and the Law on Public Procurement. No reform of the HJPC Law has been implemented in the justice sector, and the judiciary alone faces unprecedented corruption scandals in its ranks, a lack of integrity, political influence and a complete lack of accountability.

The previous year was again marked by high-level corruption scandals, such as abuses during the COVID-19 pandemic, trafficking in the judiciary, election irregularities and theft and misuse of public resources, most of which have not been prosecuted. Political parties in BiH have once again shown not only that they do not want to improve the fight against corruption, but also that they are direct instigators of corruption, compromising the election process and the will of voters and devastating all institutions through patronage networks. In addition, public pressure to prosecute corruption scandals and accountability is characterized by government officials as an attack on institutions, while the judiciary prosecutes those who point to corruption, while protecting the direct participants in the scandals.

Although the fight against corruption is a precondition for the implementation of all other reforms, the situation in all critical areas is constantly deteriorating. Transparency International in Bosnia and Herzegovina (TI BiH) therefore warns on the International Anti-Corruption Day that the continuation of such trends will lead to complete lawlessness and the collapse of institutions, and that urgent pressure must be placed on meeting priorities, including judicial reforms. conflicts of interest, public procurement, the electoral system and the financing of political parties. TI BiH also calls on the representatives of the European Union to ensure that meeting the priorities implies the adoption of adequate anti-corruption mechanisms in accordance with best practices and standards, and not to allow the collapse of the legal framework and law enforcement institutions under the guise of reforms.

Press rls-9.12.2020