State property is state property and it should remain that way!

By: Muamer Bandić

The primary reason for the aggression against the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the 90s was the struggle for living space (Lebensraum) between Greater Serbian and Greater Croatian nationalism. Essentially, it was a struggle for land between two aggressive South Slavic national projects with the aim of establishing a border, a final cultural boundary between Serbs and Croats.

The curse of Bosniaks, and of Bosnia and Herzegovina as a state, is that it is located on this imaginary border, and the interests of our neighbors overlap and clash over our backs. Moreover, without the slightest difference, both consider the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina to be theirs. It is precisely because of this that the aggressive war waged by Serbia and Croatia in our country was so brutal. And that is why Bosniaks, as a political obstacle to the imperial ambitions of their neighbors to expand the border, became their greatest victims.

Even through the verdicts of the ICTY in The Hague, it was proven that the territories of the Republic of BiH, under the direct administration of the para-state entities of RS and HRHB, were under the active occupation of Serbia and Croatia. And in that war for land, no stone was left unturned, ethnic cleansing, rape, cultural genocide, and even genocide, all in order to seize and cleanse the land and establish a new border. And all of this was accompanied by the greatest plunder of social and state property.

From today's perspective, we can clearly see that Dayton, which stopped the war, did not bring the peace we desired. Especially since its Annex 7 (Return of refugees and displaced persons) has been systematically devalued and neglected by those who waged the aggressive war, and we can conclude that it has completely failed.

For the last thirty years of this armistice, the political goals, as well as the policies of Serbian and Croatian satellites in BiH, have not changed at all. Their only goal is to retain and plunder as much as possible the ethnic fiefdoms they occupied by war, completely ignoring the existence of the state of BiH and the legal framework in which we all live. And let's not lie to ourselves, they are not interested in reforms or the "European path" of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the slightest.

The only thing they are interested in is plundering what is left of the state property of Bosnia and Herzegovina. This issue has been the cause of all political disputes in our country since Dayton.

So far, the authorities from the smaller BiH entity have been the most aggressive on this issue, attempting through a series of entity laws to change ownership of state property, all of which have been declared unconstitutional by the Constitutional Court of BiH. Numerous cases of illegal registration of state property, as well as attempts by entities or municipalities to sell it or rezone it for construction, have been recorded, both in RS and FBiH, although RS is somehow always in the public focus.

Thus, the imposed Prime Minister of the Federation of BiH, Nermin Nikšić, submitted an official initiative to the OHR two months ago for amendments to the ban on disposing of state property.

Unlike the highwayman-like seizures from RS, Nikšić's proposal is subtle and envisages that state property necessary for the construction, maintenance, and functioning of public infrastructure be excluded from the ban on disposal, all under the guise of concern for development.

And when a prime minister, who was brought to power by the suspension of the FBiH Constitution and a man who leads an entire clientelist network involved in "spengavanjima" (likely referring to illicit activities), employment, and "muštulucima" (bribes/bonuses), starts talking about concern for development, be sure that the robbery of the century is imminent. And that is the plunder of what makes a state a state, its land, water, and forests!

Milorad Dodik could not achieve this feat alone even at the height of his political power. But he shouldn't worry, because he has reliable partners from the Federation, or as he calls them, "contractors," who will open the door to fulfilling goals that were not achieved even by war. This will be done according to the same pattern by which the Law on Residence in BiH completed the ethnic cleansing of Bosniaks and Croats from Republika Srpska.

With the Law on Residence, the SDP nullified any indication of political power of Bosniaks and Croats in that BiH entity, thereby clearing the way for Milorad Dodik for the rampages we have witnessed. Following the same pattern, Nermin Nikšić is today paving the way for Milorad Dodik to plunder and take away from the state of BiH what little remains, its property. Nermin Nikšić and his clientelist clique forget that it was precisely because of that land, water, and forests that people were expelled and killed!

I have no doubt that Christian Schmidt, a man devoid of any ethics, determined only in one thing – to pacify three ethnic, mafia organizations – will assist them in this plundering endeavor. He behaves like a broker, not taking into account the negative long-term consequences of such a haggling approach on our already fragile society.

Any touching of state property of BiH, without the Law on State Property of BiH, is nothing but PLUNDER and assistance to the destroyers of the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina!

State property is state property and it should remain that way!