Representatives of the signatories of the Memorandum on the Protection and Strengthening of the Constitutional Order, Statehood, and the Continuation of the Euro-Atlantic Path of Bosnia and Herzegovina have sent the text of the Memorandum for informational purposes and further action to members of the Steering Board of the Peace Implementation Council (PIC) and to over 700 relevant addresses in the US, EU, UK, and other international partners involved in preserving the peace, stability, and Constitutional Order of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
On May 21, the Memorandum was signed by the presidents of five parliamentary caucuses representing seven parliamentary parties in the House of Representatives of the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with more than 600,000 votes and a total of 22 MPs. This document, at this crucial political moment, has gathered and united state-building forces around several key principles representing the core survival of the constitutional order and statehood of Bosnia and Herzegovina within the framework of the Dayton Peace Agreement.
According to Denis Zvizdić, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Memorandum highlights the importance of the Office of the High Representative (OHR) as an integral part of the civilian implementation of the Dayton Peace Agreement, in accordance with Annex 10. The signatories stated that the new high representative should be appointed as soon as possible with full powers, including the Bonn Powers, and based in Sarajevo, until the conditions of the “5+2” agenda are fully met and effective mechanisms for unblocking the institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina are established.
Full support was also expressed for the appointment of the new High Representative by the PIC Steering Board.
“The signatories of the Memorandum once again call on all domestic and international actors to work toward preserving peace, stability, the functionality of institutions, and the Euro-Atlantic future of Bosnia and Herzegovina through compliance with the Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina, decisions of the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the principles of the rule of law. We draw special attention to the fact that the new High Representative must retain their powers, including the Bonn Powers, until the conditions from the 5+2 agenda are implemented,” Zvizdić emphasized.
Any other decision would, as warned, show insufficient responsibility regarding the fact that policies in Bosnia and Herzegovina still act against the constitutional order and actively work to divide and dismantle state institutions, which can lead to serious conflicts.
“All PIC members must be aware of this, and there is enough evidence for it in the statements and activities of anti-Bosniak and anti-European-oriented politicians. Peace and stability are priceless and cannot be part of bad compromises,” Zvizdić stated.
