Slogan Games: New Strength with the People and No Salary for the Life That Doesn't Wait Lights Up Our Cities

We entered a new model of democracy a long time ago. It is expressed through packages with a liter of oil and a kilogram of sugar, or through the direct sale of one's election vote for 50 KM, writes the Patria News Agency.  

Thanks to the new democracy, the time has come for changes and for the economy to take precedence over nationalism and dry politics. The sale of votes for 50 KM and the distribution of election packages show that our peoples are increasingly returning to economic topics, financial interests, and development perspectives.   

The election slogan of the Bosniak national party 'Nova snaga' (New Strength) is one of the most important in this election process. The same faces have been smiling at us from election posters for twenty long years. But now with 'new strength'. These from SDA print posters for three or four mandates in advance, so they look full of new strength and younger by 16 years.

They only add slogans underneath. This time 'Nova snaga' comes just when we hoped they were tired, that they were giving up, but they are like hair shampoos, showing regenerative power. Only nearby cemeteries can separate them from municipal budgets.

From SBB, they again say 'Uz narod' (With the people), and from Prva stranka (First Party) they have slogans 'Glas naroda' (Voice of the People) and 'Bez plate' (Without Salary), presumably meaning they will perform their duties without pay. 'Upalimo svjetlo u našim gradovima' (Let's light up our cities) is the slogan of BPS, like a message from the electricity distribution company, as it doesn't resemble a metaphor.

'Vaš siguran partner' (Your reliable partner) is what the pensioners said, and from Građanski savez (Civic Alliance) they say: 'Život ne čeka' (Life doesn't wait).       

The election slogans of some parties are local and noble: 'Budimo dobre komšije' (Let's be good neighbors) from Naša stranka (Our Party), 'Za sve nas' (For all of us) from SDP, and 'Za život kakav želiš' (For the life you want) from Demokratska fronta (Democratic Front).

HDZ BiH nationally states: 'Vjerodostojno do ravnopravnosti Hrvata u BiH' (Faithfully to the equality of Croats in BiH), and HDZ 1990 'Po mjeri Hrvata' (Tailored for Croats). SNSD says 'Za pobjedu Srpske' (For the victory of Srpska), and Savez za promjene (Alliance for Change) 'Rješenje a ne obećanje' (Solution, not a promise).      

Unfortunately, in most parties, the slogan was the only message and the entire program.

When there is too much competition in elections, those in power have an advantage. What are their target groups for the elections? Half-alive and half-dead recipients of election packages. And among the rest, mostly the deceased. Because they have a government that revives the dead and has been proven to bury the living.   

In the Scandinavian model of elections, which has remained since ancient Greece, a politician appears in the cities and gives a speech in the city square before journalists and cameras of numerous television stations. A few citizens stop and listen to their mayor or prime minister, who present their plans and programs. And then they move on, because they will watch it in the peace of their homes.     

Parties in power have special mobile units that move from rally to rally. These are the types whose faces light up when they receive a sandwich after a strenuous day of shouting and chanting at targeted politicians. Although these types are not uniformed, they strongly resemble special units when they jump out of buses in a special way and spread out like skirmishers in sports halls for uniform shouting and applause. Everything looks like a rehearsed exercise 'Quick Response 2016' and 'Drina 2016'.

Many are asking: Where are the singers in these elections? They are not there, so many are rightly concerned. Political analysts are silent and do not react to this paradox. We learn that this type of democracy is not profitable in local elections, because one singer is more expensive than all the packages with which the voting poor will be supported. Singers are in reserve for general elections.

Party activists knock on doors and distribute election packages. 'Nova snaga', a liter of oil, a kilo of flour and sugar, margarine to encourage voters and prevent them from faltering in body and spirit just before voting.

One needs special party empathy when distributing such election packages. One needs to feel party pride and say to oneself: God, look at us, see how good party activists we are and see how we are doing good deeds for our poor. And without even checking if they voted for us or not. We give them in advance, without any conditions and last pre-election thoughts, these much-needed party vitamins and minerals.