Discussions about Bosnia and Herzegovina and its future and relations within the country are never-ending. Official Zagreb sent a message that Bosnia should not be treated in a special way, but the Brussels said that the solution must be sought from within the country.
Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic said Bosnia is a “special case” that must be treated as such. She is particularly concerned about the amendments to Bosnia’s Election Law.
According to Grabar-Kitarovic, everyone has given up on Bosnia but the Democratic Front’s (DF) leader, Zeljko Komsic, responded to her claims by saying he would defend Bosnia from any attack.
“Maybe Grabar-Kitarovic is right,” he said. “Maybe we are really left to fend for ourselves, but she must know that we will defend ourselves from people like her. The citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina know very well what’s it like when a ‘friendly’ Croatia lays its hands on their shoulders,” Komsic concluded.
The Social Democratic Party's (SDP) Election Law negotiator Damir Masic said this is a bold statement that does not support good neighbourly relations.
“The Law on Electoral Units in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBiH) entity is in accordance with all the regulations of the FBIH Constitution, the recommendations of the Venice Commission, and all other positive regulations belonging to Bosnia, as well as international conventions and protocols that we have signed as a state. The fact that the Croat Democratic Union (HDZ) party from Bosnia as well as the HDZ from Croatia don’t like something politically, is their own problem, to which we do not have to react at all,” said Masic.
Bosnia’s European integration process has stopped, the EU candidate status for Bosnia is nowhere in sight, and the actual state of Bosnia’s integration process is very difficult.
“In fact, some of the highest ranking European officials who have been coming to Bosnia lately, came only to conclude that the peoples are increasingly distancing themselves from each other, that they are not building relations with each other and not working on Bosnia’s European future,” said Martin Raguz, a delegate in the House of Peoples of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Bosnia’s Election Law is a burning issue that has been plaguing the country since the Constitutional Court ruled two years ago that it violates the Constitution.
Four parties – the Democratic Action Party (SDA), the Alliance for Better Future (SBB), the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and the Democratic Front (DF), with support of the Our Party, agreed earlier on a law proposal that defines the geographical constituencies and the number of mandates in the Parliament of the FBiH, Bosnia's entity shared by Bosniaks and Croats, hoping they would solve the current political crisis that hinders the progress of the country.
