Equating the roles of SDA, HDZ and SDS on the path to independence is like equating fascists and anti-fascists

Prepared by: Ajdin Huseinspahić

Regardless of the fact that the Party of Democratic Action (SDA), the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) and the Serbian Democratic Party (SDS) after the first multi-party elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina, held in November 1990, won over 73% of the vote; regardless of the fact that the only possibility of forming a government in the Socialist Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina implied a coalition of these parties, which received absolute support from the citizens, i.e. the peoples: Bosniak, Croatian and Serbian; regardless of the fact that these parties are
labeled in the public sphere as national, often even nationalist, with a generalizing and extremely negative connotation, the academic community must not remain silent about, let alone accept, the equation of SDA, HDZ and SDS, and consequently the equating of these three political concepts and projects, and the dominant views on the independent Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Bringing these policies to the same level and establishing some quasi-principle of "shared responsibility" is tantamount to equating fascist occupiers on one side and anti-fascists on the other.

If such egalitarian political sacrilege is allowed, we are convinced that we are consciously moving towards the erosion of the achievements of the anti-fascist defensive-liberation struggle from 1992-1995, which ultimately necessarily affects the stability and existence of the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

If, however, the academic and cultural community in Bosnia and Herzegovina allows leveling on this issue, if it becomes immune to it, if it silently passes over it, subsuming egalitarianism under freedom of expression and seeking justification for such a thing, then it is certain that the truth will be disparaged, dissolved, and memorialization called into question.

Let us set aside the influence of the international community, which through its passive stance, and often completely unreasonable actions, equated the aggressor and the victim in the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina from 1992-1995, which it does even today, declaring all political actors equally responsible for the situation in the country,
clumsily explaining and citing reasons why we lag on the path to Euro-Atlantic integration, even though they themselves know the truth.

Let us focus this time only on Bosnia and Herzegovina and the public space within the state, where it is allowed, without serious criticism and a reasonable public voice, not to mention sanctions, to equate SDA, HDZ and SDS, i.e., deliberately and manipulatively labeling all three parties as national, even though two of the three, more precisely HDZ and SDS in the period we are analyzing, acted in a Nazi, chauvinist and fascist manner, which is not only scientifically proven but also confirmed by the verdicts of international judicial instances.

When we remain silent about that "crime of leveling," the equating and diluting of the role of the "Army of Republika Srpska (VRS)," the Croatian Defense Council "(HVO)" and the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina (ARBiH) follows, which is the pinnacle of socio-political suicide and the destruction of the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The political activities and relations of these political parties, from their founding to the declaration of independence of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and afterwards, represent a litmus test not only of the current relationship of these three parties towards Bosnia and Herzegovina, although two of the three (SDS and HDZ) bear the label of criminal, fascist and Nazi policies, but also of a much broader relationship of legitimate Bosniak, Croatian and Serbian political actors towards the future of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

In this regard, special emphasis should be placed on the fact that among the Serbian and Croatian political corpus, the most detrimental to the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina are those actors who glorify the politics of the 1990s, led by the SDS and HDZ, war criminals and the criminal consequences of their actions.

Until the situation on this issue changes, until the most responsible political actors of today atone for the sins of the policies they inherited, which have been adjudicated as genocidal and UZP-like, we can hardly expect any, let alone a serious, breakthrough in our country, in almost all fields, regardless of all the activities we invest in the fight against issues that are imposed on us as crucial for this state, even though we know they are not.

*The text is part of Prof. Huseinspahić's presentation at the Conference "March 1 – Independence Day of Bosnia and Herzegovina – Challenges and Perspectives"