The Croat National Assembly in Bosnia and Herzegovina (HNS BiH), an organisation made up of Bosnian Croat political parties, suggested their members should initiate legal and political procedures for the new institutional and territorial organization of BiH which will ensure full constitutional equality of the three constituent peoples should the BiH Election Law reform fail, news portal Bild.ba published what they say are the conclusions of Saturday’s HNS BiH session.

In their final, seventh, conclusion the HNS sets a clear ultimatum:

“The Croat National Assembly obliges its members to initiate legal and political procedures for the new institutional and territorial organization of BiH which would ensure the full constitutional equality of the three constituent peoples, should they not be able to fully exercise their constitutional rights to legitimate representation and constitutional equality with the other two constituent peoples guaranteed by the Dayton Peace Agreement and the BiH Constitution,” the HNS’s final conclusion allegedly stipulates.

Bild.ba portal noted that their source from the HNS BiH told them that some minor corrections are possible, but that the document they received is, more or less, complete.

The first conclusion, ie what was determined by the members of the HNS BiH, says: “The Croat National Assembly concludes that the negotiating team of the HNS of BiH in the negotiations has so far consistently implemented amendments to the BiH Election Law and limited amendments to the Constitution of BiH, especially in the part related to the legitimate representation of constituent peoples at all administrative and political levels of government.”

The second conclusion of the HNS BIH concerns Bozo Ljubic Court decision and the lack of conditions for holding elections.

“The Croat National Assembly confirms that the formal and legal conditions for holding the 2022 General Elections have not been met. The current Election Law is not in line with the BiH Constitution and is anti-Dayton. Its amendments should enable the implementation of the decision of the Constitutional Court of BiH U-23/14 and all judgments of the European Court of Human Rights,” reads the conclusion.

In the third conclusion, the HNS BiH pointed out that it is ready to continue negotiating the Election Law.

“The Croat National Assembly is ready to continue negotiations on amendments to the Election Law and limited constitutional changes, following the already agreed changes to the BiH Constitution with the Venice Commission and representatives of the international community to create preconditions for holding general elections.”

The fourth conclusion is interesting because it characterizes practically all “pro-Bosniak parties as usurpers of Croat political rights and threats of Croat national interests, adding that they are not partners of the HNS.”

The fifth conclusion concerns the Central Election Commission (CIK).

“The Croat National Assembly believes that the CIK was established outside the law and the envisaged procedures, and as such does not have the authority of a legislator. In an attempt to call the General Elections, that is unconstitutional and anti-Dayton, without the agreed changes to the Election Law, the Croat National Assembly will call on its members to oppose this by all legitimate legal and political means,” it said.

The sixth conclusion states the following: “The Croat National Assembly will consistently respect the existing constitutional and legal order of BiH established by Croats, Bosniaks and Serbs as three constitutionally equal constituent peoples until initiatives to amend the BiH Constitution and its laws violate such relations to the detriment of the Croat constituent people.”