Divjak: Veterans' events should be left to veterans

The central event „Defence of BiH - Igman 2014“ ended yesterday, and Bakir Izetbegović, Chairman of the Presidency of BiH, and Sefer Halilović, a war general, both candidates for the Bosniak member of the Presidency of BiH, did not appear at the event, reports the Patria news agency.

The central event on the Olympic mountain thus passed without speeches from the highest state officials. Željko Komšić, a member of the Presidency of BiH who was also a co-patron of the event, paid tribute to this great battle by his presence.

The veterans were confused, and some even publicly stated that it might be better that they did not come, if they could not give a speech without political motives, which was one of the conditions set by the organizers.

Jovan Divjak, a retired general of the Army of BiH, told the Patria news agency that it is ungrateful to comment on such a scenario, but that it is good that politicians no longer appear at such places.

- Let the veterans come, it is their day. I think that when those two were not there, there was no place for Željko Komšić either. Now he is using his position and gaining the sympathy of soldiers. I think the matter should be approached differently at the state level and that it is a matter for the Armed Forces. For me, it is not a question of a wooden mosque, but something much more important - said Divjak.

He added that we should not expect him to say that the absence of Izetbegović and Halilović surprises him.

- I have my own opinion about it, but I will not fully express it. That is politics, and everyone behaves like that before elections to possibly gain support from members of the Army of the Republic of BiH and patriotic forces - added Divjak.

Otherwise, as we previously wrote, ahead of this traditional event on Igman, a real drama unfolded within the Organizing Committee, which may also be the reason for Izetbegović's absence from Igman.

Namely, the main financier of the event is the Cantonal Ministry for Veterans' Affairs in Sarajevo, and the minister Faid Hećo is from the Bosnian-Patriotic Party of Sefer Halilović. Last year, General Halilović spoke on Igman, and Hećo expected the same this year. However, as we learn, other members of the Organizing Committee, some of them close to Izetbegović, opposed this because they did not like what Halilović had said.

They demanded that only Izetbegović, as Chairman of the Presidency of BiH, address those present, but not Halilović. However, Minister Hećo rebelled and threatened to stop funding the gathering and block the money. As confirmed by reliable sources, harsh words were exchanged, along with mutual accusations of abusing the gathering for political purposes.