TO INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY AND DOMESTIC POLITICAL SUBJECTS: THESIS FOR THE BOSNIAN AND HERZEGOVINIAN MANIFESTO

TO INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY AND DOMESTIC POLITICAL SUBJECTS:

THESIS FOR THE BOSNIAN AND HERZEGOVINIAN MANIFESTO

 

 

Concerning the current crisis in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), we are hereby addressing the domestic and international wider public, as well as the domestic and international institutions and political subjects that influence the creation of political and social reality in BiH. It is by the present address that we point out the key mistakes made within BiH and towards BiH. These mistakes have continuously and dramatically worsened the situation in the country, while endangering the foundations of its statehood, as well as its survival.

A number of political subjects in BiH have worked persistently for a long time on antagonizing the people in BiH, while preparing the country's disintegration on the basis of such antagonization. We hereby demand that both the political subjects who currently hold power, as well as their opposition, fight back decisively against such disintegrative factors, without compromising the statehood of BiH, to protect the full equality of its citizens and people.

In general, the High Representative Christian Schmidt has not acted so far following the obligations defined by his mandate. His changes of the FBiH Election Law and FBiH Constitution are both suggestive and wrong in the long term. By passing the changes of the Election Law during the election night, the High Representative legalized the inequality of BiH citizens throughout the whole territory of our country. A substantial number of international institutions also stated their negative opinion on this issue (the German Bundestag, the Council of Europe, etc.).

It happened exactly in the recent days that the Peoples' Assembly of Republika Srpska (PARS) passed the Law on Non-application of Decisions of the BiH Constitutional Court. Schmidt duly qualified that activity as a breach of the constitutional order of BiH, as well as a breach of the Dayton Peace Accords itself, so that – in accordance to said violations – he annulled the law concerned. However, his annulment is insufficient, and it is not in accordance with the qualification of PARS’ decision.  It is necessary that the High Representative dismisses the current political positions of all individuals for whom he said that they were breaching the constitutional order and the Dayton Peace Accords alike. Such dismissal is a necessary political action, whereas the criminal responsibility of these individuals should be addressed in parallel. Moreover, we have been recently informed by the media that the American envoy for the Western Balkans, Gabriel Escobar, verbalized that “there will be consequences if Dodik breaches the Dayton Peace Accords”. As an especially important representative for BiH, Mr. Escobar utters such conditional threat right after Dodik's strike against the foundations of the Dayton Peace Accords. The international community has done nothing but verbalize issues in BiH.

It is particularly worrying to learn that both Republika Srpska (RS) entity and OHR have been preparing appropriation of the state property to BiH's entities. We insist that the state of BiH remains its only property holder, and that such property can only be allocated for use within entities and local communities. Disinheritance of the state of BiH would be fatal to its statehood. It is necessary to have in mind the context in which the political subjects in RS have insisted on the appropriation of the state property.  Such a persistent claim has been highlighted together with the adoption of the Law on Non-recognition of the Constitutional Court of BiH, non-recognition of the High Representative, the preparation of the referendum on secession of RS from BiH, etc. Thus, the appropriation of the state property, or disinheritance of the state of BiH, is one of the key strategic moves of the RS President, aimed at the secession of that entity from BiH. OHR must have the aforementioned facts in mind and cease to support these kind of claims. 

The international community, as well as its High Representative, have narrowly operated as observers towards the crisis in BiH, and have mostly just expressed their concerns. Instead of verbalizing issues, we demand efficient action from the international community, including the High Representative, aimed at preserving the statehood of BiH, in order for this country to finally overcome the crisis in which it has been suffering terribly for thirty years. We are not asking for anything more than for BiH to become arranged in the same way as all other European democratic and civil states and societies.

The international community – including the High Representative – has an obligation to BiH,  the state that endured as a victim of  the international aggression,  which includes  the genocide committed on its territory and the subsequent consequences that arose from it.   The key decision-making role in BiH still rests with the High Representative of the international community.

July 2023.                                                                                              Signatories:

 

Esad Bajtal, Hazim Baši?, Edin Batlak, Esad Boškailo, , Dragan Bursa?, Jasna ?auševi?, Milan Dunovi?, Esad Durakovi?, Rešid Hafizovi?, Husnija Kamberovi?, Ademir Kenovi?, Adil Kulenovi?, Miro Lazovi?, Jasmin Mujanovi?, Dino Mustafi?, Emir Nuhanovi?, Vahidin Preljevi?, Emir Rami?, Lada Sadikovi?, Abdulah Sidran, Aiša Telalovi?, Azra Zorni?