The public tribune in Trebinje was held on June 9, 2007 in the hall of the Assembly of Trebinje municipality at 12.00 o’clock, with the assistance of the partner organisation the League for Protection of Private Property and Human Rights from Trebinje.

The speakers at this tribune were Mr Vehid Sehic, lawyer, the FTC President and Mr Sahbaz Djihanovic, lawyer.

Mr Djihanovic and Mr Sehic informed the participants of the tribune about the aims of the project that FTC wants to realise, existing legal regulative related to the local government and European Charter and its obliging regulation for each signatory-country. They pointed out the importance of bringing of the law at the state level, as the European Charter requires, as well the importance of the constitutional and legal defining of the local government, as well the rights of BiH citizens and rights of the local administration regulated by the Charter.

In the discussion that lasted over two hours, participants of the tribune, mostly representatives of the legislation and executive authorities of the local communities in this part of Republic of Srpska, strongly supported such initiative, as well the importance of bringing of such a law and harmonisation of the regulation that defines status and position of the local government in BiH with European Charter on Local Government.

In the couple of hours long discussion, participants pointed out the most important elements that should be fully defined through this law in order to avoid existing legal loopholes and generality of both entity laws on local government.

As participants of the tribune pointed out, related to the development of the local government, one should:
- clearly define relations between legislation and executive authorities in the local community;
- full implementation of the basic obliging regulations of the Charter in order that local community and local government get more jurisdiction, especially in relation to decision related to the interests and needs of the citizens. As the Charter requires, the most jurisdiction should be there where the life and direct interests of the citizens are;
- more precise defining of the direct way of citizens’ participation in the decision-making process about the issues that are related to the living conditions and needs of the citizens of the local communities, especially related to decision-making about the property of the local communities and concessions;
- reform of the fiscal regulation and necessity of the removal of the policy from allocation of the income, not only from the public companies but also from the VAT, in order that the taxes collected from the citizens should be mostly returned there;
- finally, this law should consist obliging regulations for all other laws and after this law is brought, the changes in all other laws should be necessary.

Although the public tribune was held on Saturday, 29 participants participated in the work of the tribune. Most of the participants were representatives of the legislation or executive authorities of the assemblies of the municipalities from Eastern Herzegovina, and representatives of the non-governmental organisations that work there.

The training materials consisted of the FTC booklet and the activity report of state Court, which were distributed to the citizens. FTC believes that the transparency of the work of the state Court, especially in-time information about trials and sentences, is the base for stabilisation of the relations in BiH and building of tolerance and togetherness at this territory.

The topic, time and the place of holding of the public tribune was announced by the partner organisation from Trebinje through the posters.