The Ambassador of the US in BiH, Patrick Moon, in a commentary published on the blog ”usembassysarajevo.blogspot.com” under the name ”Federation Reform: Meeting the Needs and Protecting the Rights of all Citizens”, reminds us that over a year ago he began talking about the need for reform of the FBiH so that it can become more functional, efficient and less bureaucratic.
He notes that he appealed to individuals and leaders in the civil society sector, academia, media, political parties, governments and the international community to begin to speak about the possible ways to reform the FBiH.
‘’Since then I have had numerous, wide-ranging conversations with citizens representing all the peoples of the Federation. Some of the feedback has been positive and some negative. But in a country where compromise comes hard (if at all), I have been pleasantly surprised that there is almost unanimous support for the idea of reform. Citizens of the Federation believe the Federation can and should change for the better’’, said Moon.
He said that he always emphasized that local authorities, legal experts, leaders of civil societies and citizens have to take responsibility for the management and implementation of reforms.
‘’Some have said only a “top down” approach from the international community will make change possible, even calling the idea of citizen-led reform naive. I think just the opposite is true. Past reform efforts have focused on urging politicians and government leaders to compromise on their own. Unfortunately, these past efforts did not succeed. That’s why we began this discussion on Federation reform in a different way: with a “bottom up” approach, to spur an inclusive conversation and process. And citizens are responding. Some send lengthy plans while others just simply offer support. Public affairs programs debate the merits and political possibilities of various reform ideas. And politicians increasingly see that reform cannot simply be another agenda item to put off until next year. It is clear that people care about improving the Federation and want to be a part of the process to improve governance in the Federation’’, said the US Ambassador.
‘’ To date, our goal has been working to spur a thoughtful discussion about the need for reform and what potential reforms could look like. It is now time to take this conversation to a new level. As I have said over the past few months, we are working with other members of the international community to organize a working-level conference to bring together relevant experts within civil society to identify and discuss proposed changes to the constitutional structure in the Federation’’.
The Embassy of the US in BiH brought together a group of well-known and respected lawyers and experts to help move this process along and to articulate concrete options for reform.
Members of the expert group are the first President of the FBiH Krešimir Zubak, who now has a law firm, university professors Mile Lasić, Kasim Trnka and Mirjana Nadaždin-Defterdarevic, and the former member of the BiH Central Election Commission and civic activist Vehid Šehić.
They will operate independently, organize meetings and discussions with various individuals and groups, including the relevant officials in government whose goal is to improve the situation in the FBiH.
Moon added that he asked the expert group to focus on suggestions that would get wide approval from all citizens, and not to take into consideration reforms that would further divide BiH.
He hopes that the expert group will present its findings as the basis for discussions at the conference, and that they will work with interested citizens and civil society organizations in order to improve these proposals. The ultimate goal would be to make thoughtful and politically pragmatic suggestions for constitutional reform that would be presented this summer to political leaders.
‘’My motives for pushing for reform of the Federation Constitution are simple. The Federation is too complicated, too expensive and does not serve the best interests of the citizens. This is a conversation about functionality of the Federation and responsiveness of the Federation Government, not just a conversation about maps or territorial reorganization. It should not be a discussion that is misused to stoke nationalist fears or worries’’, said Moon.
The US Embassy wishes to support BiH citizens in expressing their opinions necessary reforms, and to engage experts and people belonging to civil society in the FBiH to create their own vision of a better and more functional FBiH.
‘’We share with them a common goal — a Federation which better meets the needs and protects the rights of all of its citizens’’, concluded Ambassador Moon.
