Bećirović: No single nation was outvoted in the referendum for BiH's independence, this is our greatest holiday

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - Member of the Parliament of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Vice-President of the Social Democratic Party, Denis Bećirović, stated tonight as a guest on the show Pressing on N1 television that "March 1st will, sooner or later, be celebrated throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina". He congratulated the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina on the holiday.

- I also take this opportunity to congratulate all citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina throughout the state territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as all Bosnians and Herzegovinians around the world, on our greatest holiday - Independence Day of Bosnia and Herzegovina. There is no doubt, Bosnia and Herzegovina is a sovereign and independent state, it is a full member of the United Nations. True, our country is facing numerous problems today, true that we still have attacks on its statehood, sovereignty, and territorial integrity. However, the integrative and progressive forces in this country have always been stronger than the extreme and disintegrative forces. March 1st is a testament to that. If the citizens had not voted in a democratic referendum for a sovereign, independent, and indivisible Bosnia and Herzegovina, we would have nullified the thousand-year history of BiH. That is why March 1st should be celebrated throughout the state territory and should be inscribed in golden letters in the history of BiH. It is a date when all citizens and nations should be proud. He stated that institutions, schools, and streets should be named March 1st.

He then spoke about politicians from Republika Srpska who deny this holiday. He said that this speaks to their lack of understanding.

- We must speak and bear witness to the truth. The fact that certain politicians from the Bosnian entity RS deny March 1st says more about their misunderstanding of what a legal state means. It is a legal and legitimate holiday and it will, sooner or later, be celebrated throughout the country. It is interesting when you look at the arguments of these people as to why they don't celebrate, their favorite formulation is that one nation was outvoted that day. That is not true. Two-thirds of the people decided that day that BiH, like other Yugoslav republics, would be an independent, indivisible state. If it weren't for March 1st, BiH would today have the status of a Šumadija or Mačva district in Greater Serbia. That did not happen. BiH is guaranteed, sovereign, and independent state for all time. When we will reach that level of awareness to organize relations in Bosnia and Herzegovina in a more democratic, honest, and equal way depends on all citizens of BiH. I think that each of us individually should contribute to Bosnia and Herzegovina becoming a modern and organized European state as soon as possible.

Bećirović, while a guest on Pressing, said that civic-oriented parties should sit down at one table and find the best solution for the upcoming elections. He said that, as he sees it at the moment, there is a debate within civic parties about two concepts. The first concept is that the most important thing is where some of the leaders of these parties will be positioned and how that party will fare individually.

- The second concept, which I advocate for, publicly and in party bodies, is that we should put the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina at the top of the pyramid. Therefore, all party interests, personal, group, and individual, must be secondary to the state interest of BiH. My proposal is that all civic-oriented parties sit down seriously at one table and see what the best solution is, first programmatically, and then in terms of personnel, for the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina. When I say that civic-oriented parties should sit down first, I mean that the practice of only one-on-one talks between SDP and DF should be stopped. There is no justification or reason for us to marginalize Naša stranka or Građanski savez Bosne i Hercegovine. Therefore, all these parties should sit at the table and try to reach the best solution through dialogue and arguments - Bećirović believes.

He reiterated his thesis that civic-oriented parties should nominate a single candidate for the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the upcoming general elections. He said that the state badge is more important than the badge of any party. In his opinion, a unilateral approach will not bring anything good, and only united can they achieve much more.

When asked if he would agree to be a candidate for the Bosniak member of the Presidency, the guest of Pressing said that the SDP's bodies would make the decision.

- The Social Democratic Party of Bosnia and Herzegovina is a very serious party with a long tradition and serious procedures. In the SDP, you cannot just become a candidate and say I am a candidate. The Main Board made a decision on Saturday that from March 1st to March 31st, we have the opportunity for all members to register their candidates for the Presidency and various levels of government. After that, in April, we will start the discussion, there is even a possibility that I announced back in October last year, that we might be the first political party in Bosnia and Herzegovina to take an additional step, to hold a referendum at the end of May where 42,000 members will decide among 10 to 15 members whom they want to nominate as a candidate. There are procedures, they will be followed, and after that, we will know the final decision. We are not the type of party that can talk about it before the bodies - he added.

- We are too fragmented, too divided, on the other hand, we have numerous attacks on the state, I want to tell people that we will seriously consider that when we have a serious threat to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina, we must in such a situation gather all those who love Bosnia and Herzegovina. Party badges, red, orange, green, and blue, are of course important for all these parties, but this badge on the lapel is the most important badge. It is the badge of the state of BiH, we must gather under that flag of Bosnia and Herzegovina, united. I believe in such a state and I will do everything in my power to raise awareness among as many people as possible on that path - he emphasized.

He pointed out that in the upcoming elections, there is a "great chance for democratic and civic forces to win the upcoming elections."

- There are many serious reasons for this. From those who say they have done nothing serious in the previous period to the fact that a serious program offering a vision and hope for Bosnia and Herzegovina must be offered. We have the entire March, April, and May to bring these things to the best possible level. I am optimistic that reason will prevail and that we will enter this electoral race with the best solutions - he added.