In the past few days, the news appeared that the Ministry of Defense of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) has started arranging the Museum of the Croatian Defense Council (HVO) at the Heliodrom, in the building of the former camp for Bosniaks.
This caused strong reactions from the public.
On this occasion, the State Minister of Defense Zukan Helez also wrote annoucement on social networks yesterday.
Helez’s message is written below in its entirety:
“The change of government in any democratic society is a completely normal process that is implemented after the elections. Obviously, this does not apply to BiH. Knowing who we are dealing with when it comes to those who have ruled for 30 years in BiH and now need to join the opposition, I expected a very dirty fight, which we have already seen through the purchase of MPs, delegates, many people who change parties, pressure, blackmail and threats. However, what they are trying to impute and frame me these days exceeds any measure of common sense.
Through some associations and not successful portals, they are trying to say that I installed the HVO museum at the Heliodrom in Mostar, but in fact the truth is as follows: in 2019, the Decision on the establishment of the museum of the First Infantry Guard Regiment of the Armed Forces of BiH (AFBiH) in the Stanislav Baja Kraljevic barracks in Mostar, of the Second Infantry (Ranger) Regiment of the AFBiH to the Rajlovac Barracks in Sarajevo, the Third Infantry (Republika Srpska – RS) Regiment of the AFBiH to the Kozara Barracks in Banja Luka, was brought by the then Minister of Defense Marina Pendes.
In that decision, Article 2 accurately locates the HVO museum in the Stanislav Baja Kraljevic barracks in Mostar. So, the decision was made almost five years before my arrival at the head of the Ministry of Defense of BiH.
In April 2022, Minister Sifet Podzic signs the Memorandum of Understanding and Cooperation between the Ministry of Defense and the Association of Holders of War Decorations of the HVO and the president of that association, Lazar Martinovic. That memorandum made it possible to donate funds from that association for equipping the HVO Museum in Mostar. All this is happening almost a year before my arrival in the ministry.
As can be seen from all of this, the HVO Museum in Mostar and its location, equipment and financing were clearly defined by the ministers before me, long before my arrival at the head of this ministry; In 2019, when Marina Pendes signed that Decision, SDA and HDZ were firmly in the coalition, and in 2022, when the Memorandum of Understanding was signed, SDA-DF and HDZ were in the coalition. Of course, the portals and associations that write about it today kept quiet then, because “their people” signed it. In all of this, I am glad that these are local and not so successful portals.
What is noticeable with the departure of “their” man (4+4) from the head of the Intelligence-Security Agency (OSA), those quasi-portals that have been drawing budget money for years remain beheaded due to the lack of information that this mentioned person provided to them. With the formation of the new Federation of BiH (FBIH) Government and cantonal governments, they are left without secure sources of funding from the budget. In the end, I want to tell them that I expect everything from them, even what is not characteristic of the human race, but rest assured that my answer to every lie of yours will be bare facts, arguments and the truth.
P.S. That nothing is sacred to them in the fight for power is shown by this example when they use the victims of the Heliodrom and people who have undergone the greatest torture in the fight for seats, benefits and remaining in power. Many members of my extended family (Pilavi, Bektasi, Becirovici) were terribly abused in that camp, and some of them we never found. Gentlemen, quasi-patriots, shame on you.”
E.Dz.
