Bosnian citizens have the opportunity to choose between confrontation and normality, between stagnation and progress, said the High Representative to Bosnia and Herzegovina adding that the international community did not intervene enough in the previous period, in Bosnia.

“I’ll be a little ironic when I say that I’m afraid that the international community didn’t intervene enough in Bosnia. We should’ve insisted on the ballot scanning and other technical improvements which would ensure a free and fair election,” Valentin Inzko, who oversees the civilian implementation of the Dayton Peace Agreement which ended the war in Bosnia (1992-1995), told the Serbian ‘Blic’ daily, commenting on allegations that the international community has interfered with Bosnia’s general election set for October 7.  

He said these are baseless claims, adding that the international community wants to be Bosnia’s partner in helping her become a functional and prosperous country.  

“On the other hand, we can’t allow some irresponsible politicians undermine everything positive that was jointly made after the war in Bosnia,” Inzko added.  

He told the ‘Blic’ reporters that he has no knowledge that some parties could organise protests after the election and added that no political party has the right to block the implementation of the election result because they are dissatisfied with their own result.  

The High Representative called on all Bosnian citizens to exit the polls on October 7 and to vote and not be afraid of political pressures and intimidation, but to resist any kind of manipulation with their votes.  

Speaking about the closure of the Office of the High Representative in Bosnia, he said it depends on the “positive evaluation of the political situation in the country” and that the OHR will continue to be open and running as long as all the conditions for its closure are fulfilled.