20 years you have been electing people who stole from you, by voting for us you have nothing to lose but your chains

The Communist Party of Bosnia and Herzegovina was founded in 2012 in Sarajevo. Our trump card is socialism, where it is clear that we advocate for the well-being of the people. We pay special attention to the importance of social programs and relieving the economy of Bosnia and Herzegovina. So, a healthy, educated and free-thinking people is what we want for Bosnia and Herzegovina, says at the beginning of the interview for the Bosnian news agency Patria Goran Kovačević, candidate of the Communist Party for the Parliament of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Kovačević is a doctor of science, employed at the Faculty of Criminalistics, Criminology and Security Studies in Sarajevo.

PATRIA: Were you a member of any other party before your engagement in the Communist Party of BiH and how long have you been in political waters?

KOVAČEVIĆ: The Communist Party is the first political party I joined. I actively started dealing with politics about four months ago. I considered that it was not an area where I could fulfill myself as a person. However, a life experience, where politics played with me, made me aware and I realized that most people are in a similar position, where they can be collateral damage of political scheming. My main motive for entering politics is the fact that only in this way can one influence changes in laws, which put citizens in an unfavorable position, but also support projects that are essential for the future of our country.

PATRIA: You are a candidate for the House of Representatives of the Parliament of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. What is it that you "offer" to voters, citizens of BiH?

KOVAČEVIĆ: I am interested in voters, not non-voters, in people who are ready to allow capable people to grapple with adversities, who will in return consolidate the situation and create an environment in which a secure future is visible. We offer a secure future, the possibility for citizens to fulfill themselves to their full capacity as people.

PATRIA: Why would I, for example, as a potential voter who has not yet decided who to vote for, choose you? Convince me with arguments that you deserve my vote?

KOVAČEVIĆ: I am young and educated, everything I have achieved in life was through my own work and effort, and everything can be verified. I am not a criminal, nor will I be. I will walk the streets, among the people who have given me their trust, without an escort and expensive cars. You as a voter, by supporting me, have nothing to lose but your chains. For twenty years you have been electing people who stole from you and sent the police after you when you demanded your rights. By electing the right people, you have the opportunity to punish criminals and give yourself a chance to enjoy life. Despite the doubt, we are not all the same.

PATRIA: After October 12, will there be changes on the BiH political scene? Where do you see your party, i.e., what result do you hope for?

KOVAČEVIĆ: In my opinion, a very difficult period lies ahead of us, regardless of whether there will be a change of government or not. However, with new people, it will be easier to get through the turbulence. New people are full of energy, ready to work, not accustomed to a comfortable life like the current rulers. And I would certainly tell the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina that every government should be closely monitored and punished at the appearance of any suspicion that it is not working for the well-being of the people. The Communist Party will achieve a good result in the elections on October 12, it is a party that directs all its capacities towards prosperity, and there are also people who are prominent fighters for justice.

PATRIA: Nationalist rhetoric is still dominant in BiH. How do you think in such an environment citizens-voters can decide to vote for those who act diametrically opposite to parties whose defense of the "vital national interest" is primary in the campaign?

KOVAČEVIĆ: Nationalism is a rigid ideology that excludes creativity and does not allow civic consciousness to take root. Politics should stop favoring the religious, ethnic or national component, and start emphasizing civic affiliation, as the only important political identity. As long as nationalist parties are in power, this is impossible, only new forces, oriented towards the progress of society, can bring about such changes. The issue of vital national interest is a matter of political prostitution. For twenty years, the "vital national interest" has been protected and the entire social life has been nailed down with these three words. It is important to note that the content of this category has changed, and that other things are of vital importance. However, parties of nationalist orientation constantly try to manipulate by presenting it as something that protects the political projection of the nation and thus the state that nationalists have imagined in their heads. There is no more vital national interest, there is the vital interest of man, and it is precisely this category that is threatened, the survival of the ordinary person is threatened, not the nation. I think voters are aware of this fact and will give new people a chance to show what they can do for this country and its citizens.

PATRIA: How well attended are your gatherings and what is the profile of the voter who comes to hear your party's program?

KOVAČEVIĆ: Citizens are interested in the story of the Communist Party, of course with a dose of skepticism due to the name of the party, but also due to twenty years of distortion of the truth about communism. I often enter into dialogue with representatives of other parties who believe that in the political schools of their parties they have learned what to say to shut up a communist. After the conversation, many begin to doubt their arguments. Our forums are attended by people of different age groups, different educational and material status, simply people feel the need for the alternative that the Communist Party offers.

PATRIA: If you enter the Federal Parliament, what is the first thing you will do? 

KOVAČEVIĆ: First, I would establish a mechanism for efficient and rapid replacement of government representatives in extraordinary circumstances, in circumstances when the people demand it. The insecurity that the representatives of the government themselves would feel would force them to work as much as possible and do everything to make their voters satisfied.