Will the CEC strike Abdić's Labour Party from election lists?

By: Delvin Kovač

Velika Kladuša will definitively get a new mayor in October, a successor to the convicted war criminal Fikret Abdić Baba, who will no longer be able to hold that position.

Residents of Velika Kladuša will have the opportunity to choose between five candidates - Delila Šehinović (independent candidate), Ismet Hušidić (Party of Krajina Unity - SKJ), Boris Horvat (Together for Velika Kladuša - SDP, NS, NiP, SDA), Amir Đogić (Labour Party), and Adis Džanić (NES).


Candidates for Mayor of Velika Kladuša

Fikret Abdić's possibility to run and spend another four years at the head of Velika Kladuša's administration was denied by High Representative Christian Schmidt by imposing amendments to the Election Law of BiH. At the persistent insistence of the Association of Victims and Witnesses of Genocide, Schmidt, among other things, banned convicted war criminals from running in elections.

"No person convicted by any international or domestic court for genocide, crimes against humanity, or war crimes may run in elections, nor hold any electoral, appointed, or other office," the amendments imposed by Schmidt state.



And one of those who was deeply affected by this is certainly Fikret Abdić, convicted of war crimes and sentenced to 15 years in prison. However, he does not miss an opportunity to try to contribute to the victory of his candidate Amir Đogić at pre-election rallies, either by his presence or by speeches for which he receives thunderous applause.

On the Facebook page of the Labour Party, whose president is Fikret Abdić's daughter - Elvira Abdić-Jelenović, numerous photos from this year's Labour Party pre-election rallies can be found, attended by the war criminal himself.

One of the rallies where he tries to convince attendees that the administration of Velika Kladuša, led by Đogić, will bring about a renaissance for Velika Kladuša, was held in the local community of Podzvizd (cover photo).



Abdić is aware that he will no longer sit at the helm of Velika Kladuša's administration, but with a microphone in his hands, as he has done countless times before, he can still sow discord and spread lies about the alleged development of the municipality, which has isolated Velika Kladuša from the rest of the world. Because no one wants to talk to war criminals.

However, the question arises whether Schmidt's amendments were incomplete, given that the war criminal continues to lead the pre-election activities of his Labour Party unhindered. Or is the BiH Prosecutor's Office supposed to act? However, Babo is aware that he can rest easy regarding both the OHR and the Prosecutor's Office...

Regardless of the sluggishness of the BiH judiciary, as Patria has learned, the Association of Victims and Witnesses of Genocide will file a report with the authorities for glorifying a convicted war criminal and will request the BiH Central Election Commission (CEC) to remove the Labour Party from the election lists.



In considering this report, the CEC must be guided by the amendments to the Criminal Code of BiH, imposed by former High Representative Valentin Inzko, and the Election Law of BiH, imposed by bonn powers by Christian Schmidt, thereby preventing the Labour Party from participating in the elections due to the glorification of a war criminal.