HDZ BiH President Dragan Čović reflected on the results of today’s session of the Croatian National Assembly of BiH and stated that most of the discussion was about the issue of state property, political challenges and the strategic goals of the HNS – the European path of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the equality of constituent nations.
“Minister Bunoza made a cross-section of the situation where we are today in terms of imposed legal solutions and blockages because of it. It is unacceptable that we cannot build a highway through Mostar because someone is blocking that process. Some 15 billion euros of investments are standing because of this, because we have not completely cleared up relations with state property,” Čović said after the session.
He asserted that the “problematic” military land near Mostar, over which the highway should go, was declared unpromising by the Minister of Defense Zukan Helez, but that despite this, the construction process cannot be started.
“We can build the highway up to that part and then stop, but that’s not the way. That’s why I call on the institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina that can make decisions, but also the high representative, because it’s an imposed solution, to correct it in the interest of Bosnia and Herzegovina,” Čović said.
He added that the blockade of the construction of the highway through Mostar is only one of many examples of blocked projects due to the prohibition of disposal of state property.
Čović also commented on the situation surrounding the failed session of the House of Peoples of the BiH Parliamentary Assembly, saying that it was unacceptable to schedule sessions without prior agreement, on a day when he was not in Bosnia and Herzegovina:
“I spoke with my colleague Ademović, I said that it was wrong that he did that. There is no blockade, but the fact that we physically could not be present is something else. I asked my colleagues to understand that. We will not get into a situation where the Club of Croats depends on anyone. This will not motivate me to cancel meetings because someone scheduled a meeting that we knew would not take place.
According to him, SNSD representatives previously said that there was no possibility to discuss the changes.
“If you know that this is so, why are you putting it on the agenda,” Covic asked.
Mostar should be made into a modern city
He also commented on the formation of the Croatian political bloc around which the parties HDZ 1990, HRS, HNP, HSS and HDS, saying that HDZ BiH will do everything to strengthen its political role.
“I am convinced that they are thinking about the good of the Croatian people and that they see a clear vision of the future, as is also seen by a group of people within the HNS and HDZ of Bosnia and Herzegovina. I understand that the elections are in 11 months and that everyone has their own ambitions. I will do everything from our side so that the policy that I lead receives the support of the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina, especially the Croatian people. The goal is to strengthen our role in the political life of Bosnia and Herzegovina, to sit at the political table where the key issues for Bosnia and Herzegovina are defined and the Croatian people,” Covic said.
When it comes to the political situation in Mostar, he said that he will not allow the largest city in Herzegovina to be made a “city of accident”.
“The measure of good taste, not only political, has been exceeded. Gad Mostar should remain the only city in Bosnia and Herzegovina that has all the features of organizing a multi-ethnic environment. The message to all those who are trying to turn the City of Mostar into a case is that we firmly stand by Mayor Kordić,” said the first man of the HNS.
He underlined that the position of the HNS is that Mostar should be made a modern city and that anarchy will not be allowed to prevail.
He touched, among other things, on the role of the American administration in Bosnia and Herzegovina and told everyone who thinks that it is neglected that it is a bad assessment.
Commenting on the European Commission’s latest report on Bosnia and Herzegovina, he said that “there have been worse ones” and that this latest one is “sufficiently stimulating to achieve the set goals”.
“We have not done the key work, but please someone explain to me why we are unable to adopt two laws that have been waiting for a year – the Law on the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Law on the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Minister of Justice will soon propose harmonized texts so that everyone can show their attitude towards our integration ambition,” Čović said.
In the end, he called on all political actors in Bosnia and Herzegovina to do everything in their power to adopt the two aforementioned laws by the end of the year and appoint the chief negotiator with the European Union so that the negotiation process could finally be opened.
