In his latest blog, US Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina Michael Murphy referred to the recently held General Elections and the decisions of High Representative Christian Schmidt, but he also criticized the previous government at the state level, which he described as one of the most unproductive in the history of BiH, and called out the outgoing BiH Presidency member Milorad Dodik fo increasingly brazen attacks on the stability of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

“Bosnia and Herzegovina’s people have always been its greatest asset. Their creativity, diligence, resilience, and decency have carried the country forward through numerous challenges. The United States will continue to stand by them and support their aspirations for a secure, prosperous Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Euro-Atlantic community of nations, as we have for over 25 years,” Murphy wrote.

Unfortunately, he adds, the same cannot be said of many of the political leaders of Bosnia and Herzegovina, who have consistently disappointed this country’s citizens.

“Twenty-seven years after Dayton, these leaders have not only failed to deliver on their promise to provide Bosnia and Herzegovina with the stability and good governance necessary to secure the country’s future, over the past decade they have sought to dismantle the successes Bosnia and Herzegovina has achieved since the end of the war,” US Ambassador noted in his blog.

“Some may blame the Dayton structure for the lack of progress, for the weakness of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s institutions, and for the failure of reform. Dayton has its faults, and the United States has worked hard over the years to address them, but there is nothing in Dayton – not a word – that requires leaders to steal, to obstruct, to refuse compromise, to employ inflammatory rhetoric, or to assail the very constitutional foundation of the country. These are individual and selfish choices. No piece of paper compelled these leaders to squander the promise of peace and place the acquisition of personal wealth and power above the interests of the country’s citizens.”

According to him, BiH's institutions and citizens have paid the price. The last state-level government was one of the least productive in Bosnia and Herzegovina’s history he said.

“Politicians refused to form the Federation [entity] government after the 2018 elections, ignoring the electoral will of citizens and denying them their democratic rights. The leaders of the Republika Srpska have repeatedly threatened to leave the state altogether and have misled their public about their support for reforms that led to the creation of a single armed forces, the Indirect Taxation Authority, and many other BiH institutions. Political leaders in both entities have relied on nationalist rhetoric and distorted facts to secure power without regard for the consequences to Bosnia and Herzegovina’s stability, pushing the country further down a dangerous path,” The Ambassador wrote, adding:

“Milorad Dodik and his allies’ increasingly brazen attacks on Bosnia and Herzegovina’s stability are the clearest example. Instead of focusing on the real issues of concern to citizens – corruption, lack of employment opportunities, and inflation – President Dodik has chosen to assail the Dayton order and undermine state institutions. The United States has never sought to abolish the Republika Srpska. What we have sought to abolish is corruption. President Dodik’s performance last week, attacking the Central Election Commission for carrying out a basic recount, is not the behavior of a politician who cares about transparency.”

Read the rest of Ambassador Murphy's blog at THIS LINK.