BiH gets its first professional government

BiH gets its first professional government

Comprised of professionals instead of politicians, the new government was established in Tuzla.

The Tuzla Canton government resigned after citizen demonstrations in February. [AFP]

Protesters in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) saw their first concrete victory in the Tuzla Canton, which recently elected a government comprised of professionals with no party affiliation and no political experience.

Protests throughout the country broke out at the beginning of February, forcing four of the country's 10 cantonal governments to resign. Citizens rallied against the country's massive unemployment and socio-economic problems that have not been addressed by state or local governments.

Plenums, non-political gatherings of citizens open to all those who wanted to participate, sprung up in many parts of the country in the wake of the protests. The Tuzla plenum will work with the new government to implement ideas.

"The expert government is a completely new approach to politics in BiH because it is a direct democracy, and I think it's good for the citizens of this country," Mirsad Djonlagic, an MP in the Federation of BiH parliament, told SETimes. "We'll see how those governments function and what will eventually be achieved. This is a good solution because the voice of the citizens who are looking for change finally can be heard."

New Tuzla Prime Minister Bahrija Umihanic, a former economics professor, formed his cabinet with professors, doctors and businessmen.

Umihanic and the other ministers signed statements freezing their membership in political parties, if they had any, and pledged not to run in October's general elections.

"I believe we can do a lot or a...