The Croatian Parliament is scheduled to debate tomorrow the Resolution on the Position of Croats in Bosnia and Herzegovina, proposed by the Homeland Movement. They initially came up with rigorous demands, such as the one on the formation of a third entity, but the new proposal omitted this, and a separate electoral unit is being requested.
What is the goal of this document, which, in addition to encroaching on the sovereignty of Bosnia and Herzegovina, also affirms the self-proclaimed Croatian Community of Herzeg-Bosna, contrary to the judgments of the Hague Tribunal?
Resolution on the electoral unit
The political aspiration packaged in the Resolution, this time more moderate, but essentially the same. Equality of Croats in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and in translation, ballots with a new – Croatian electoral unit, exclusively for the election of a member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Originally, the Homeland Movement advocated a third entity, and now they are demanding action from the Government of the Republic of Croatia and its partner HDZ with the goal of full political equality of Croats in Bosnia and Herzegovina through reform of the political system and electoral rules.
The proposal of the Resolution states:
“At the same time, the Croatian Parliament supports the election models proposed by the legitimate representatives of the Croatian people in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which would ensure the legitimate political representation of the Croats, including the proposal to establish a separate electoral unit for the election of a Croatian member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina.”
The President of the Croatian Democratic Union of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Dragan Čović, believes that the issue of electoral reform should be among the first priorities after the formation of the new government.
“It is up to us, after the establishment of the new government after the elections, to make it one of the first questions that we will ask and finally solve permanently,” Čović said.
Criticism due to ethnic principles
Protection of constitutional rights, equality and European values – all this is included in the Resolution, which highlights the role of the self-proclaimed Croatian Community of Herceg-Bosnia, but does not offer solutions to the poor economic and demographic situation of the people in Bosnia and Herzegovina, in whose name it was proposed. And it brings the election reform back into focus again and again, which created models, but not solutions.
Elvis Fejzić, a professor at the Faculty of Political Sciences of the University of Sarajevo, believes that through changes to the electoral legislation, an attempt is being made to achieve what could later lead to the formation of a third entity.
“It is actually about the fact that they are trying now, through the Electoral Law, in some way to achieve and implement what should later be a third entity. When you have a completely separate system in which you elect political elites completely separately and in which you have political segregation, where every citizen does not have an equal vote throughout the territory, and special zones within the state territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina in which the voice of Bosnian Croats, Bosniaks and Serbs are recognized in particular, that is half way to secession,” said Fejzić.
Zagreb’s political message
This resolution, as well as the Declaration from 2018, non-binding acts, indicate that the topic “elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina” politically suits everyone, but also that the goal of official Zagreb is to help the HDZ BiH pre-election. It is a political tactic to preserve the majority in one’s own political yard – says analyst Davor Gjenero.
“If the Homeland Movement had continued to insist on the initial text, it would certainly have led to a split in the ruling coalition. The goal of this administration is certainly not to cause changes in Bosnia and Herzegovina that would lead to an attempt to create a third entity,” said Gjenero.
A resolution acceptable to all, useful for Croats. It is the official position of the coalition, which no longer mentions the revision of Croatian citizenships, but expects that, by advocating the strengthening of ethnic principles, contrary to the EU’s requirements, it will resolve the issue on which the last word – prescribed by the Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina – will be given by BiH institutions.
