Večernji list BH: If the constitutional amendments proposed by the NGOs led by the Forum of Citizens from Tuzla are adopted, citizens will have a guaranteed right to local and regional self governance, and municipalities certain source of financing.
Public Debates
Representatives of the Forum, former vice president of the FBiH, Šahbaz Džihanović and former member of the Central Election Commission of BiH Vehid Šehić, presented the Proposal of those constitutional amendments, as well as a Draft Law on Principles of Local Self Governance in BiH, so the question of local self governance could finally be solved. Those proposals have been reached after series of public debates, participated by more than 300 participants, mostly representatives of municipalities, cities and NGOs. First amendment guarantees the citizens the right to local and regional self governance in accordance with the European Charter on Local Self Governance.
Development of Municipalities
Second two amendments imply that local self governance has the right to own sources of financing, and that the state of BiH and the entities ensure the suitable procedures and measures of financial equalisation for the purpose of ensuring equal development of local communities on the whole territory of the country.
Some of those questions, such as financial independence of the municipalities, are more closely regulated by the Draft of the aforementioned Law, for which Šehić and Džihanović believe that will be adopted. Especially significant they consider insurance of development of pore municipalities, which can be achieved through redistribution of assets from higher levels of authority of BiH towards undeveloped municipalities. Proposed law stipulates also establishment of certain "statistical regions" which will not have an administrative character, but they will provide for municipalities to associate for the purpose of achieving interests of their citizens through different projects.