Hadžibajrić: The year ahead will be difficult, the focus is on citizens and the struggling economy

Ibrahim Hadžibajrić is a candidate for the mayor of the municipality of Stari Grad, which he has led for three previous terms. This year, Hadžibajrić has the support of four parties: the Independent Bosnian-Herzegovinian List, of which he is the president, People and Justice, Our Party, and SDP BiH. In an interview before November 15, when citizens will elect mayors and municipal councils in the Sarajevo Canton, Hadžibajrić talks about the campaign, NBL candidates, projects implemented in the past period, and the fight against the coronavirus, which has had significant consequences for the economy in this municipality. 

Patria: We are on the eve of the local elections. They are being held in the midst of the coronavirus epidemic and an increased number of infections in BiH. Many people are in isolation/self-isolation, which will certainly affect voter turnout. What is your message to the citizens on election day?

Hadžibajrić: With good organization and adherence to hygiene and epidemiological measures, there is no reason for citizens not to go to the polls. The municipal election commissions assure us that protection measures will be respected, disinfection will be carried out, distance will be maintained, and temperatures will be measured... The fact that someone is in isolation should not significantly affect voting, as there will be mobile teams to visit all such voters and collect their completed and enveoped ballots. We have witnessed that in the US, voter turnout in their recent elections was higher than ever before, despite being among the countries with the most infections. I sincerely hope that the situation we find ourselves in and the inadequate response of the current authorities to the coronavirus pandemic will encourage citizens to turn out in as large numbers as possible and vote for change.

Patria: This year again, some candidates have not shied away from using unscrupulous methods against their opponents in their campaigns. You have also faced this, but you have not retaliated in the same way. This year, the NBL, which you lead, is running in the local elections for the first time. By avoiding confrontations, did you want to show your membership that campaigns can be conducted differently?

Hadžibajrić: Our policy has never been to belittle or insult others. At the beginning of the campaign, I called on all our candidates to refrain from doing so and to present themselves through their actions and programs, not to make promises they cannot keep, and not to pay attention to others. That is how we operate, and we do not want to stoop to the level of those who are ready for anything: destroying our campaign posters, making false promises, and even threats and insults that have been directed at my family again this time. On the other hand, political parties that lack a solid program and realistic projects fight for the favor of citizens by bringing them gifts or paying their debts in stores. We are aware of all this, and we hope that the citizens are also aware and that in the upcoming elections they will make a reasonable decision and vote for those who have shown through their past work and actions that they work for them.
 
Patria: Throughout the eight months of the epidemic, you have been with the residents of the municipality and numerous entrepreneurs. You have eased their burden as much as possible, exempted them from rent, and reduced their lease payments. Is there a plan to recover or try to recover in the coming period what the coronavirus has caused in terms of tourism and other activities that have almost collapsed?

Hadžibajrić: The most important thing is to stop the pandemic so that we can move things forward, from the local level upwards. We cannot talk about plans and development until the pandemic stops, until we return to normal life, open borders, and start working. The situation is very difficult, and we witness it daily on the ground. For now, we are doing what we can, reducing rents for users of municipal business premises and providing assistance to socially vulnerable families, the elderly and sick, and large families... We have opened phone lines for reporting those most at risk so that we can visit them and bring them aid. It is a fact that hotels, shops, and even some catering establishments are closed, and their reopening does not depend on us but on the situation with the virus. When things normalize, we will see how we can help them get back on their feet.

Patria: There are several areas that should not be under the jurisdiction of municipalities according to current laws and local self-government. Education, healthcare, public transport, yet as the mayor of the Municipality, you have built school halls, procured equipment, reconstructed the Health Center, and arranged transportation with Centrotrans in the hilly parts of the city. Should municipalities be given greater authority so they do not depend on the canton?

Hadžibajrić: We have invested a great deal in all the areas you mentioned: education, healthcare, public transport... It is not our obligation, but we did it because there was a need to help our citizens and ensure normal living conditions. Unfortunately, the Sarajevo Canton, which has direct jurisdiction over these matters, has had a stepmotherly attitude towards the Municipality of Stari Grad in previous years and has not invested as much as in other municipalities. This changed with the arrival of the "Six" (Šestorka) in power, but after their change, we returned to the old ways. Elections must bring change, including legislative change. We are not afraid of transferring responsibilities to local self-governments, but these responsibilities must be accompanied by rights.

Patria: Many projects have been completed during the past 12 years you have been leading Stari Grad. Last year alone, you started four significant infrastructure projects, and all of them were completed. What is the plan for the next four years, what will be the focus of the municipality?

Hadžibajrić: The program of the Independent Bosnian-Herzegovinian List 13/4 envisages very significant projects for our local community in the next four years, and all our promises are well-founded because activities for their preparation have already been undertaken. Among the largest projects is the construction of another underground garage with a landscaped square, a memorial, and green areas at Trg oslobođenja-Alija Izetbegović, on which we have already been working intensively with the Ministry of Spatial Planning and Construction of KS, the Planning Institute of KS, and the Institute for the Protection of Cultural and Historical Monuments. I would also highlight the kindergarten "Bulbul," which we plan to open in the spring of 2021 after its complete reconstruction, which is currently underway. To solve the problem of the Bentbaša pool, we have prepared a solution for the construction of a sports and recreational center, and in Dariva, we have secured a location and completed the conceptual design for the construction of a football field. However, we must be aware of the situation. The year ahead will be very difficult due to the consequences that the coronavirus will leave behind. We will have to focus on citizens and their problems, the socially vulnerable, people who have lost their jobs, and the struggling economy. We will have to find a way to help these people, and capital projects will be realized later.