SDP INITIATES SIGNING OF PETITION AGAINST THE INCREASE OF BOSNIAN STATE PARLIAMENT DELEGATES' SALARIES

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (April 21,2008) – The Bosnian Social Democratic Party (SDP BIH) initiated at all regional centres in Bosnia the signing of a petition “Stop Increasing Salaries and Pensions to the Politicians”. The petition has been initiated after adoption “in the first reading” of the Law on Delegates’ Salaries at the Bosnian Parliament.

At the same time, SDP party activists are distributing fliers with pictures and names of all the delegates who voted for the law. The fliers read: “Winners of the Golden Shovel – Medal of Honour for Pillaging of People with Shovels”.

The SDP President Zlatko Lagumdzija stated on Friday at a press conference held at a petition signing stand near the Eternal Flame in the Bosnian capital Sarajevo that the Law on Delegates’ Salaries is “to put it in the mildest way immoral”. It foresees incomes for the delegates in the amount of 7.000 Bosnian Marks per month per a delegate. That is only an introduction to the law on pensions and special privileges of the delegates who would have pensions in the amount higher than 3.500 Bosnian Marks, “only for having sat at parliament for two years”.

The SDP announced that the citizens’ signatures will be submitted to the Bosnian Parliamentary Assembly for the prupose of stopping the delegates in “unscrupulous, shameful intention of doing something Switzerland would not do”.

”If they ignore the petition, SDP will call the citizens to assemble in front of the Parliament and tell them what they think” Lagumdzija said.

Lagumdzija added that he does not receive the salary in Parliament. He leaves it to the state Budget, but one example is not enough.

SDP Secretary General Nermin Niksic stated that citizens are signing the petition; crowds formed at the Eternal Flame stand.

The Party’s Headquarters expect the reports from cantonal and regional boards which will be made available to the public.

Niksic announced that the action will last at last until the end of April and that he expects that the delegates will do something for the sake of citizens, not only for their own sakes.
.