Izetbegović seeks support from ambassador, Čović does not want foreign interference

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - SDA leader Bakir Izetbegović received today the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Norway, Guri Rusten, with whom he also discussed the current political situation in BiH. Izetbegović emphasized that it is high time to complete the process of implementing the election results from October 2018, including the formation of a new Federal government. However, for this process, it is necessary for the HDZ BiH to propose a candidate for the President of the Federation of BiH, but for that they set a condition of amending the Election Law. 

Last week, HDZ BiH leader Dragan Čović, after returning from Brussels, announced a meeting with the SDA leader as soon as possible to continue talks on amendments to the Election Law. Čović very clearly ruled out the possibility of European mediation in an attempt to reach a political agreement in BiH on amending the electoral legislation.

"The EU understood that this makes no sense and that it is an old story. They made it clear to us that if we want to do it ourselves, we should. That is what HDZ and SDA, as political leaders of the two peoples, are trying to achieve through talks today. If we do not do it, any interference from outside is futile. It will simply be assessed as our inability, and we will remain outside the European story. Obviously, we have to do it ourselves. We invited our friends from the EU, including the Commissioner for Enlargement and the President of the European Parliament, to visit us, but they are all ready to come and support us, help us, but only if we show that we have a basis, a common content regarding amendments to the Election Law. If that does not happen, it is clear that no one will overly worry about us," said Čović.  

Čović announced that an agreement on the Election Law should be reached by the end of March in order to inform the EU about it and leave the possibility of obtaining candidate status in May.