The high representative of the international community in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), Christian Schmidt, on Wednesday imposed technical changes in the Election Law of BiH, and said that this is how he brings a package of transparency that, as it is claimed, guarantees a free and fair election campaign.
To recall, technical changes will regulate the use of electronic, printed and online media and social networks in the pre-election campaign.
However, announcement of the official decision was preceded by days in which a secret battle for BiH was fought behind the scenes.
It was already started by the announcement of the high representative for BiH that he plans to impose the Election Law and the constitutional package in the Federation of BiH (FBiH)in a way that would undoubtedly cause further divisions and disagreements in our homeland.
Even though not the only one, along with thousands of BiH citizens who protested in front of the Office of the High Representative (OHR), citizens like Azra Zornic, Dervo Sejdic,and others, the media, part of the intellectual community and the non-governmental sector, BiH diaspora, Adis Ahmetovic, representative in the Bundestag and rapporteur of the German SPD in the foreign policy committee, and former high representative in BiH Christian Schwarz-Schilling played a significant role in bringing this outcome of the small victory of democratic BiH.
Carrying a letter sent to him by Sasa Magazinovic, the SDP state parliamentarian – who asked Ahmetovic to act because he believed that the consequences of a possible OHR decision could be dramatic – the German parliamentarian knocked on many doors, including Olaf Scholz‘s, the German chancellor.
“We worked together,” Ahmetovic stated briefly.
Although he will turn 92 this year, Schwarz-Schilling has done a lot to ensure that his successor, the current High Representative, the German Christian Schmdit, stays on the amendments to the BiH Electoral Law, which are of a technical nature. In the shadow of numerous reactions and media noise, Schwarz-Schilling strongly lobbied for the interests of democratic BiH.
This story emphasizes the importance of prompt action, lobbying and advocacy in the world of politics and diplomacy, which is an opportunity that BiH uses insufficiently or sloppily.
