The president of HDZ, Dragan Covic, after the session of his party’s presidency on Monday, essentially eliminated the opposition from the Republika Srpska (RS) as a potential partner. This has effectively pushed Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) into complete political paralysis.
“I have no comment on the opposition that was in Kupres. My role is to protect the position of Croats and BiH. All games and theatrics should remain with them; I do not wish to comment at all. They had the opportunity to implement what was agreed upon after the talks in Kupres,” said Covic after the HDZ Presidency session in Mostar.
With this statement, Covic has, if he stands by his words, pushed BiH into political paralysis that will last until October 2026.
Now all options have failed
A series of events, which began in January this year when the Coalition of the Three from the Federation of BiH (FBiH), SDP, NiP, and NS, decided to suspend cooperation with SNSD, was supposed to lead to a situation where a new majority would be formed in both houses of the Parliamentary Assembly of BiH(PABiH).
Although the president of SNSD, Milorad Dodik, intensified his secessionist rhetoric, Covic still retained him as a partner, as is evident in every session of the House of Peoples of the PABiH, where, together with Dodik’s party colleague Nikola Spiric, he refuses to place the dismissal of SNSD personnel at the top of the agenda.
Even after Dodik became the subject of a central warrant, Covicdid not abandon his long-standing partner, bringing BiH to a standstill.
It is clear that Covic does not want to abandon Dodik, while no one from the FBiH, including opposition parties (SDA, DF, SBiH), wants to cooperate with him, as they have emphasized multiple times, especially after an investigation was opened against Dodik for attacks on the constitutional order.
The second bloc from RS (SDS, PDP, LPR) is a desirable partner for the Coalition of the Three, and with two delegates in the House of Peoples of the PABiH, they can ensure the necessary support and passage of laws in this legislative body.
Even opposition parties from FBiH, through several different situations in the House of Peoples, have shown that they would be open to cooperation with these parties. However, for HDZ and Covic, they are not a valid option.
Criticism of the opposition from RS is based on incorrect premises
Although Covic tries to shift the blame to the opposition from RS, implying that they did not support HDZ’s proposal for changes to the electoral law, this justification “does not hold water.”
The main reason for this is the statements of delegates Zelimir Neskovic and Nenad Vukovic, who have repeatedly publicly stated that they would support this proposal, even aligning with HDZ’s rhetoric about “the right of Croats to elect their representative in the Presidency of BiH.”
However, they left the last session of the House of Peoples before the discussion on this proposal, due to the fact that Spiric, with full support from Covic, abused the rules of procedure and ignored the request of the majority of eight delegates to discuss the electoral law after voting on the dismissal of SNSD personnel.
The fact that Covic interprets this move by Neskovic and Vukovic, who expressed protest by leaving the session due to Spiric‘s behavior as chairman, as opposition to HDZ’s proposal for changes to the electoral law is merely a facade for the continued support of Dodik and SNSD.
The hypocrisy of HDZ and Covic
In the context of this proposal, which has caused numerous controversies, it is worth recalling the fact that Covic, through his party colleague and Chairwoman of the Council of Ministers of BiH, Borjana Kristo, stated that he could not support Nebojsa Vukanovic as a candidate for the vacant position of Minister of Security because “there is no political consensus among partners for that.”
On the other hand, without any agreement with his partners, as confirmed by the leaders of the Coalition of the Three, Covic, through delegate Marina Pendes, sends a proposal for changes to the electoral law that deals exclusively with HDZ’s interests.
Simply put, political consensus is needed for what is not in the interest of HDZ and Covic, and if something is in their interest, no consultations are necessary.
In addition to not seeking the opinion of their partners, Covic also uses this proposal as a “litmus test” to assess potential future collaborators, although even there he draws conclusions based on incorrect premises.
What will happen in the coming period?
If Covic does not abandon his partnership with Dodik, and if the Coalition of the Three parties persist in their intention not to cooperate with SNSD, BiH is heading towards political paralysis.
The reality is that Kristo, under Covic‘s instructions, will not propose Vukanovic as the new Minister of Security, even though there is a majority for that in the House of Representatives.
The reality is also that SNSD, with Covic‘s help, will not allow the dismissal of their personnel to be a subject of discussion and voting in the House of Peoples.
In the end, the reality is that Dodik will not be a partner to any party belonging to the “pro-Bosnian” bloc, because any conversation with him would be interpreted as normalization of attacks on the state order and the secessionist aspirations of the regime in RS.
When all this is summed up, Covic‘s defense of Dodik, and insistence that in the midst of attacks on the constitutional order carried out by his long-time partner, discussions should be held about changes to the electoral law and that according to a proposal that fulfills only HDZ’s wishes, is leading BiH into political paralysis that will last at least until October 2026.
Of course, opinions and positions in BiH often change, but it is clear that everything indicates that all processes, including the adoption of laws crucial for BiH’s path to European Union (EU) membership, will be halted until the fall of next year.
Covic and HDZ should, however, be singled out as the person and party who could have prevented the paralysis but did not. For what reasons, only they can say with certainty, Klix.ba writes.
