Čolpa: Balašević indebted Sarajevo, let's repay him with a street, park, monument...

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - At the age of 68, the celebrated poet, singer-songwriter, director, and actor Đorđe Balašević passed away yesterday at the Vojvodina Clinical Centre due to complications after contracting the coronavirus.

On this occasion, Member of the House of Representatives of the Parliament of FBiH, Nihad Čolpa, shortly after the news of Balašević's death, proposed that the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina should repay him and, as a sign of recognition, name a street, park... after Đorđe Balašević.

"Balašević indebted Sarajevo. I am sure we will repay him with a street, a park, or some beautiful monument, just as Sarajevo has repaid numerous friends. Sarajevo does not forget its friends! Let's fulfill his wish! Let's live the verses!" Čolpa stated.

Let us remind those younger that Balašević was one of the few artists from Serbia who publicly spoke out and condemned the events during the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Shortly after the war, he came to Sarajevo and recited verses that will remain an unbreakable bond between Sarajevo and Balašević: "In the press from the region I come from, there were big headlines: 'An assassination attempt on Balašević is being prepared in Sarajevo'. Am I afraid to come to Sarajevo? If I were afraid of something, I would hide in Sarajevo. I said: Okay, I'm going on a trip, and it has to be that way, it's written like that... 'Aren't you afraid for your life? Aren't you afraid of an assassination attempt?' I say: If that's the price, to be in the crosshairs of some madman for two days... They could have been in the crosshairs for five years. So, I have a way to be a Sarajevan for at least two days in my life, at least by that."

Sarajevo must find a part of itself and dedicate it to the eternity of Đorđe Balašević.