[wzslider]by Nevena Šarenac
Two day protest in front of the building of BiH Institutions in Sarajevo proved that there is a critical mass of people in BiH that is ready to make sacrifices for basic human rights and dignified life.
This morning at 4 a.m., in the capital of BiH, the democratic protests of hundreds of BIH citizens ended. Citizens expressed their discontent with the fact that the Law on Unique Master Citizen Number was not adopted.
Since 12 February of this year, no newborn child in BiH is able to receive a unique master identification number, nor can they be entered into the registers due to the judgment of the Constitutional Court of BiH from January of this year when the law on the unique master citizen number became void.
Protest is not politically motivated, it represent a cry for children’s rights
United citizens of BiH have said that the protest was not politically motivated but it represents a cry for children’s rights. They were persistent in fighting for rights of citizens of the entire BiH, and have pressured and demanded that BiH Parliament representative and ministers start doing their job for which they are well paid.
The immediate reason for the revolt of the citizens, who gathered mainly through social networks and twitter, was the case of three-month-old baby Belmina Ibrišević. She is in urgent need of treatment abroad, but at this moment it is not possible for her to cross the state border since she does not have a unique master citizen number.
Although the Council of Ministers at yesterday’s decision adopted a provisional decision on the issuance of unique master citizen number for BiH citizens, citizens are sending a clear message that the protest will not be interrupted because they insist on the adoption of laws that would resolve this issue.
Peaceful and loud protesters have gathered yesterday, and with the sound of car horns, and whistles, they blockaded all entrance to the building of BIH Parliament as well as the Building of Friendship. The message was clear: ‘No one will get out until the ID Law is adopted’. According to date of security around 800 people were in the buildings, with more than 250 foreign guests who came yesterday to Sarajevo as participants of the Annual Conference of The European Fund for Southeast Europe,
During two day protest police and Unit for the Support of the Directorate of Coordination of Police Bodies were securing the protest, and they were placed in front of the entrance of the building BiH institutions and they did their job professionally.
Embittered citizens made interesting banners, and if a employee of the joint institutions of BiH would try to leave, protesters would make a human chain and would stopped them from leaving. It is important to note that protesters did not make a single incident. They came and in dignified and democratic manner criticised BiH inefficient and divided government.
Citizens were especially revolted when Chairman of BiH Council of Minister forcefully left the building surrounded by his bodyguards.
In one moment there was some shoving between Bevanda’s bodyguards and several citizens, with one man and one woman ended in the hospital due to their injuries.
Yesterday, representatives of protesters held a meeting with representatives of the Parliament, but without results. Apart from demands for urgent adoption of the law, protesters also demanded the formation of the state fund which would finance medical treatment of ill children, and also they demanded that ministers in BiH Council of Ministers and representative in both houses of the parliament give 30% of their pay checks into this fund. Also, citizens refused proposals to allow foreigners to leave.
High Representative promised help, protest ended in early morning
Protest lasted until early morning, and around 2.30 a.m. High Representative to BIH Valentin Inzko came in order to contribute to the solution of the situation.
He first talked with citizens, who asked him to promise that he will initiate the final solution of the ID Law, and he promised that, and added that he’ll call on the urgent session of Peace Implementation Council (PIC)
He noted that the issue of ID number must be solved at the state level, which he supports, but he cannot do anything about decreasing the pay check to parliamentarians.
He added that he’ll do all in his power to initiate the foundation of the charity fund for medical treatment of ill BiH children in foreign countries.
After the agreement was made with Inzko about the evacuation of foreign citizens from the Parliament, police made chain and have blocked protesters from back exit and opened it for foreign citizens, employees and representative in BiH Parliament.
After that, protesters left. But, it is obvious that this protest in Sarajevo got a lot of attention, both in BiH and outside, and world media reported about this event.
Citizens are waking up, protests in other cities of BiH and region
It seems that two day protest has awaken BiH citizens to fight for their rights, and so protests were announced by Student’s Parliament of Sarajevo University which will start in the square of Liberation-Alija Izetbegović, and from there they’ll go to peaceful walk towards the Parliament of BiH.
According to students, the main reason for protest is the responsibility of parliamentarians, and all other institutions, agencies and their employees, who do not work properly, and deny the future to BiH citizens.
ID number protests started in Mostar and Zenica as well, and also on social networks, citizens of Belgrade gave their support to citizens of Sarajevo.
In Kalemegdan in Belgrade, on Sunday 9 June, a protest ‘We are all Belmina’ will be held in front of monument ‘Pobjednik’.
