Hadžikadić: Electronic voting, ballot scanning, and a second round for fair elections

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - Mirsad Hadžikadić, president of the Platform for Progress, which is officially part of the State Coalition as of today, will once again be a candidate for the BiH Presidency. He believes that in the elections, as a coalition and he as a candidate for the Presidency, they will do excellently.

"Because this is essentially a genuine movement and we have invited everyone who wishes well for BiH, who can accept and embrace everything we have stated in the manifesto, they are welcome, even civic associations and individuals. I think it has been clearly emphasized that it is about values, that everything so far has been about personal gain or protecting ethnic groups, that until now almost no one has spoken honestly about the state when it comes to concrete actions and their implementation. According to which law, we will see. We were simply brave enough to say we are here and ready to contribute. If there are changes to the Election Law that determine a different way of electing Presidency members, we will comply with them and continue to work towards the betterment of this country. But it seems to me that all these changes to election laws, from the beginning until today, have led to restricting someone's rights, not to someone gaining more rights," Hadžikadić told Rezime FTV.

He emphasizes that it is crucial to technologically improve the electoral process, such as electronic voting or scanning of ballots.

"Many citizens have neither the right to be elected nor to elect, and that needs to be resolved. As for everything else, it seems to me that discussions should be returned to state institutions. The existing problems should be argued and then we should all solve them together. This country must be a country where citizens and peoples will feel that it is their country and that they have full rights."

Hadžikadić points out that no one has ever invited them to negotiations on changes to the Election Law.

"The answer is always that it concerns parliamentary parties. There is something with which I would not agree with the opposition's stance. For example, when they say that electronic voting is a technical part of the Election Law changes. I disagree. If a person now thinks that their vote does not count and that's why they don't go to the polls, I think we have a bigger problem than just a technical change. I think people would be freer in choosing candidates, and we would not have those who are imposing changes to the Election Law now in power, nor would we have corruption at the level we have. Nor nepotism, nor a bad economy, nor such a poor response to the COVID issue. Therefore, in my opinion, electronic voting is not a technical issue but a fundamental issue for the future of BiH."

He believes that the people who created the problem cannot solve it, do not want to solve it, and do not intend to solve it.

"Where we have a problem is the insistence of the international community on something called pragmatism, and pragmatism says negotiate with those in power. Even there they are not consistent, but they talk to party leaders instead of parliamentarians in state institutions. I think it is quite clear to everyone that there will be no solutions. That this is simply a way to calm things down, not to stir up the sea too much, and to continue into an uncertain future, just as we arrived at it, and that Europe has no problems. The problem cannot be solved with the people who created it, and one cannot talk anywhere outside of state institutions, and I think the expectation of the international community is that the people they talk to will lead to a solution that will build a progressive EU member. I think that is wrong, that they know it, but their pragmatism limits them regarding the future of this country."

When it comes to sanctions, he believes that many politicians in BiH, as well as in neighboring countries, deserve them, but that sanctions are not the only solution.

"We could have avoided all this by making it a package for EU accession, all countries together or none. The fact that sanctions are being discussed and they are not coming means that they are still being negotiated and that there is some kind of concession being made. I fear they will not happen or will be lukewarm. My life experience has shown that you cannot negotiate with tyrants."

Regarding the relationship of Croatia and Serbia towards BiH, he believes that if the concept of Greater Serbia, Greater Croatia, and Greater Albania did not exist, BiH would be much more peaceful.

Hadžikadić states that there have been talks about uniting the opposition, and these talks often fail when people start thinking about 'where do I fit in'.

"It doesn't always happen, it doesn't happen with everyone, but it is a dominant theme. And then one simply sees that when there is 'where do I fit in', then there is no state, and I have no interest there. The opposition should have come out as one in 2022, but that will not happen. It doesn't mean talks won't continue, the formation of the State Coalition is not an end but a continuation of the possibility of talks, but it is broad enough for all those who wish well for this country. Why don't we seek changes to the Election Law where there will be a second round, and then it doesn't matter how many candidates there are."

He believes that if we get electronic voting, we will not need more than two election cycles to clean up the country.

"Without electronic voting or at least scanning, there will be no changes in BiH because those who have sat on the throne do not want to give it up, and they count the votes. They decide who wins. We cannot blame foreigners because they cannot give us the country we want. Only we can. I think we need to seriously address the problem of our eastern and western neighbors as well."