HDZ's imposition of Ademović and outvoting of Lenda explain why Kovačević's candidacy makes sense

(Patria) - Frustrated by the emergence of Slaven Kovačević's candidacy for the BiH Presidency, political and media circles close to the HDZ have been parrot-like repeating the old mantra these days, about how Kovačević's election, like Komšić's, would be contrary to the principle of equality of the three constituent peoples.

This assessment would not even deserve more attention, solely because it is fundamentally incorrect and because it is a manipulative interpretation of the Constitution, were it not for the HDZ's hypocritical policy of double standards.

Namely, the aforementioned principle of equality of the three constituent peoples, as presented in the HDZ's understanding, has been violated no less than by the HDZ itself, on several occasions, and as such cannot serve as any counterargument to Kovačević's candidacy and civic politics.

The two most blatant examples of the HDZ nullifying the principle of equality of peoples are the imposition of Kemal Ademović by the HDZ and SNSD as a member of the collegium of the House of Peoples of the BiH Parliamentary Assembly, against the political will of the Bosniak Caucus, and the outvoting of Refik Lenda, Vice President of the Federation of BiH, by Lidija Bradara (HDZ) and Igor Stojanović (SDP) during the formation of the FBiH Government.

More specifically, although Kemal Ademović (then a member of NiP) did not have the support of the Bosniak Caucus, he was imposed on the Bosniak Caucus as their representative in the leadership of the House of Peoples precisely by the HDZ, on the principle of violating the equality of the three peoples.

This fulfilled the post-election projection of Milorad Dodik that "Serbs and Croats will decide which Muslim will be in power," and with this, the HDZ trampled on the argument it most often puts forward in its political struggle.

The HDZ now hopes this will be forgotten, since together with the SNSD and the Serb Caucus, it constantly keeps the House of Peoples of the BiH Parliamentary Assembly in a political blockade, further undermining the mentioned principle.

The only moment when the HDZ condemns blockades based on ethnic veto in the House of Peoples and the like is that moment when representatives of Bosniaks in the House of Peoples of the BiH Parliamentary Assembly, unable to find a different solution, resort to a blockade in the form of a quorum.

Unlike the imposition of Kemal Ademović, which is questionable from the perspective of the HDZ's principle of equality of the three constituent peoples, although completely legal, the imposition of the FBiH Government and the outvoting of the Bosniak member in the leadership of the Federation of BiH by the Croatian and Serbian members, supported by the suspension of the FBiH Constitution by Christian Schmidt, is neither legal, nor is it questionable from the HDZ's perspective of equality of the three constituent peoples.

Even then, the HDZ saw nothing wrong in all of this. Although the political will of the Bosniak people, expressed through the election of Refik Lenda by Bosniak delegates in the House of Peoples, was grossly ignored, the HDZ did not think to invoke the equality of the three constituent peoples.

The HDZ, through the Troika, has completely taken over power in the FBiH, and at the level of Bosnia and Herzegovina, together with the SNSD, it completely dominates the government, where the Troika plays the role of a formal bystander and a costume of an "equal representative of Bosniaks."

Through its political actions, the HDZ has shown and proven that the principle of equality of the three constituent peoples should not be upheld in any case, unless it is necessary. But then it is not a principle but a necessity, some opponents of this thesis would say. Yes, it has always been nothing more than a necessity!

Unlike the principle of necessity (as the HDZ's argumentation could be called), civic politics does not step outside the sphere of respecting the Constitution, but sees its chance within the existing constitutional order.

Therefore, Kovačević's candidacy (as well as the election of Željko Komšić) does not seek its chance in either an ethnic or a civic interpretation of the Constitution. On the contrary, it does not seek it in any interpretation but consumes it based on the acquired rights of citizens, which were won long ago and from which civic politics does not back down, nor, as it seems, intends to back down just because someone does not like it.

The imposition of Kemal Ademović and the outvoting of Refik Lenda by the HDZ only further explain why civic politics and the candidacy of Slaven Kovačević make sense.

(M.T.)