The Central Election Commission of Bosnia and Herzegovina (CEC BiH) conducted elections for the order of political subjects on the ballots for the October elections. At the same time, there are numerous reactions from political actors about the possible intervention of High Representative Christian Schmidt regarding the BiH Election Law.
There are many reactions of political actors about the possible intervention of the High Representative in BiH, Christian Schmidt, in the BiH Election Law, although there is still no official confirmation from the Office of the High Representative (OHR). The OHR document that appeared in the media supposedly foresees an easier functioning of the Federation of BiH (FBiH), and two key things stand out – the introduction of a census during the election of delegates to the House of Peoples of the FBiH and the method of electing the president of the FBiH. It is envisaged that in the future, representatives of the three constituent nations will be delegated to the caucuses of nations only from those cantons in which they make up at least three percent of the population.
“The constituent people who have less than 3 percent in a certain canton, have less than 3 percent of the population, you are actually taking away their political rights to be represented in that unfortunate House of Peoples, respecting the Constitution, in this case I have to say to the unfortunate House of Peoples around an angry battle is being fought,” says Komsic.
“Foreigners need to understand that only an agreement between us three constituent nations can provide a sustainable system. That their imposition does not mean that is it. Remember what Paddy Ashdown did, so what has come out of all that, it just doesn’t work, it’s not compatible, it’s not in line with the life we have here,” says the president of the Alliance of Independent Social Democrats (SDA), Milorad Dodik.
While on the one hand, the leader of the Democratic Action Party expects a reasonable decision from the OHR and a solution to the problem, on the other hand, the leader of the Croatian Democratic Union of BiH regrets that there is not enough domestic will in BiH to implement the reform.
“I think that Mr. Schmidt will not start, nor should he startinterfering in the FBiH Constitution, to possibly prohibit those who are minorities in certain cantons from being represented in the House of Peoples. It is they who should defend the vital national interest, it is precisely their place in the House of Peoples of the FBiH, “ says the president of the Party of Democratic Action (SDA), Bakir Izetbegovic.
“I reiterated that equality and non-discrimination of the three constituent nations and all other citizens is of the utmost importance. I am sorry that BiH is perceived as a country that does not have enough domestic strength to implement reforms,” says Dragan Covic, the president of the Croatian Democratic Union of BiH (HDZ BiH).
“Such a danger for BiH, for the entire multi-ethnic being of BiH and the principle that all members of the constituent nations are equal, completely regardless of which part of BiH they live in. With this imposition, that principle would be completely lost,” told Damir Arnaut from Our Party.
“The change in the law must not be imposed by the decision of Mr. Schmidt, but only the result of the decisions of domestic institutions,” says Mira Pekic from the Party of Democratic Progress (PDP).
While we are waiting for the end of speculations and the official confirmation from the OHR about the possible intervention of the High Representative in BiH in the Election Law of BiH and the possible imposition of the decision, one fact is that domestic political factors have so far failed to independently agree and resolve anything.
