Bosnia and Herzegovina promotes transparency with Open Parliament project

The Open Parliament project is being implemented by the Assembly in co-operation with the country's Youth Information Agency (OIA) and is sponsored by the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina's Parliamentary Support Programme.

The support provided for the project by the OSCE was outlined by the Mission's Parliamentary Support Programme Manager, Anitra Jankevica: "We assisted in setting up the project and are also supporting it financially.

"With assistance from the Croatian youth non-governmental organization GONG, we also organized the initial training for both the OIA and the Parliament on project design and implementation," she said.

Raising awareness of democratization

"Our main goal is to further familiarize the public with the significance and work of the Assembly, to raise the level of transparency of the work of a state institution and to heighten awareness of its significance in the democratization process of BiH society," added the Head of the Assembly's Public Relations Office, Zlatko Vukmirovic.

The first visit to the Assembly took place on May 25 by a group of students from the Vaso Pelagic gymnasium in Brcko. The students listened to a short history of the Assembly and learned about the structure of the Parliament, the rules of electing parliamentarians in both Houses, and the legislative procedure.

During their tour of the Parliament, the students visited the White Hall and heard how parliamentarians discuss issues at plenary sessions. They also visited the parliamentary reading room/library and the Great Hall, which is currently undergoing reconstruction, thanks to funding by the Norwegian Government.

Discussions with local MP

The students also had the opportunity to meet and talk with MP Marija Perkanovic of the House of Representatives, who represents Brcko District. She spoke about her work in the Parliament and the importance of having young people sharing their ideas with the country's institutions.

Even though she faced a number of tough questions on such subjects as the persistent unemployment problem, how to improve education and how to get young people more involved in political life, Perkanovic was very receptive to the students and their interest in the Assembly's work.

The discussions were also assessed positively by the OIA's President, Jan-Zlatan Kulenovic. "The dialogue between the students and Members of Parliament and other officials from this institution is extremely important and can only encourage further transparency," he noted.

A quiz organized by the OIA on the structure of the country's Government and the Parliament rounded off the visit, with prizes for the students in the form of information materials on how to become more active in the social and political spheres.

This first visit received widespread media coverage, including several TV stations, and was reported live on Federation Radio. Several students - some of whom were visiting Sarajevo for the first time - were interviewed, a completely new experience for them.

Satisfaction on both sides

Overall, the students were very satisfied with the visit, which they acknowledged had spurred their interest in political developments in Bosnia and Herzegovina, while the Parliament was also very happy with the interest and enthusiasm displayed by their visitors.

"We finally had an opportunity to see and learn how this institution works. It helped me, and I believe that all my colleagues now understand this very important government institution," said Adnan Heljic, a student from the Vaso Pelagic gymnasium.

The first students' visit was quickly followed by two more: a group from Lukavica on 27 May and one from Sarajevo on 30 May. Two further visits are planned in June.

With the Open Parliament project off to such a good start, the Assembly - supported by the OSCE Mission and the OIA - is set to continue its efforts to inform young people about the legislative work of the Parliament and its elected representatives.

"Our Parliamentary Support Programme is very pleased with how the project has started and we will continue to support it," commented Anitra Jankevica.