Forto and Nikšić to European Parliamentarians: The situation is serious, protect BiH's sovereignty

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - Edin Forto, president of Our Party and Nermin Nikšić, president of SDP, on behalf of their parties, sent a letter to European Parliamentarians who represent the ALDE party, of which Our Party is a member, and PES, of which SDP is a member, in the European Parliament. In the letter, they inform them about the situation in the country and call for concrete actions that will lead to an improvement of that situation. We present the letter in its entirety.

"Dear Members of the European Parliament,

Following your recent discussions and concerns about the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, we are writing to provide you with insight into the broader context and offer a more detailed overview of the current political and security crisis in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

As some of you may already know, the political situation in the country leads to a continuous escalation of crises and insecurity, as secessionist threats and blockades of institutions and decision-making processes have not been addressed promptly and correctly, especially in recent months. This has resulted in the first concrete secessionist and militaristic steps recently taken by Mr. Milorad Dodik, who has turned the current political crisis in Bosnia and Herzegovina into a serious security threat to the country, the Western Balkan region, as well as to the European Union.

We also wish to take this opportunity to point out two indirect causes of the current situation - the first relates to the amendments to the Criminal Code of Bosnia and Herzegovina, adopted by the former High Representative Mr. Valentin Inzko, which sanction any denial of genocide, and the second is the long-standing corruption of high-ranking officials in the country, which has continued to grow during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The legal amendments introduced by Mr. Inzko were intended to finally abolish the glorification of war crimes, violence, and war criminals in the public discourse of the country and, we hope, to create space for more discussion on how to move forward, with respect for the victims of genocide and crimes against humanity and their surviving family members. The High Representative's decision has been politically distorted and is now unjustly used as an excuse for blocking institutions and decision-making processes, which has particularly hampered crisis management, from those caused by natural disasters to those related to the COVID-19 pandemic across the country.

Despite the continued destabilization and the usual disregard for the rule of law in Bosnia and Herzegovina, some progress has been made in investigating cases related to the endangerment of human lives during the COVID-19 pandemic. Such is the case when Transparency International BiH and the state Agency for Medicines and Medical Devices determined that industrial oxygen is being used instead of medical oxygen for patients diagnosed with COVID-19 in some hospitals in the Republika Srpska (RS) entity. This discovery was evidently poorly received by the Government and political leadership in RS, as they subsequently filed a criminal complaint against the said state agency.

Furthermore, in this regard, we note that steps towards the secession of RS have been announced through withdrawal from the Armed Forces of BiH, challenging the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council and the Indirect Taxation Authority. The National Assembly of Republika Srpska has already voted to divest the BiH Agency for Medicines and Medical Devices of its powers, without the presence of opposition representatives. In order to cover up their crimes during the pandemic, the political leadership in RS is prepared to go to such lengths that they have created the most serious security crisis in this part of Europe since the 1990s.

Therefore, recognizing that:

• Discussions about war have never been more present than in recent days, and the threat has never seemed more inevitable;

• The endangerment of peace and security in Bosnia and Herzegovina could create the danger of another armed conflict in the region;

• This could create a spillover effect and spread the crisis to the entire Western Balkan region, as well as to the rest of Europe;

• This could lead to a series of dangerous events with negative geopolitical connotations that would be very difficult to contain;

• All of the above is linked to the stagnation and detachment of Bosnia and Herzegovina from its path towards European integration.

We call for:

• Your continued efforts to direct the discussion on the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina towards respecting and protecting its sovereignty;

• Insisting that today's threats be taken seriously and addressed appropriately and decisively by all EU institutions;

• The use of all diplomatic and mediation instruments, as well as the full utilization of the OHR's powers, which should be considered as means to resolve the crisis and bring to reason those responsible for the current security crisis;

• A special approach that should consider ways for Bosnia and Herzegovina to return to its goal of fulfilling the key priorities identified by the European Commission and catching up with other Western Balkan countries on the path of European integration," the letter states.