Komšić: Čović has interlocutors in Sarajevo for the partition of the Federation of BiH

Guest of Novi dan on N1 was the leader of the Democratic Front, Željko Komšić, who spoke about whether the Steering Board of the Peace Implementation Council (PIC) should have reacted more decisively, commented on his view of the political reality in BiH, harsh rhetoric, upcoming elections, the referendum in the RS and the security situation, reports the Patria agency.

The PIC ambassadors, after a three-hour meeting, called for the referendum in the RS not to be held, but also for BiH institutions to resolve the issue of holding the referendum themselves. Komšić said that this decision by the PIC was expected. 

- We all knew what would happen at the PIC session and no one had high hopes for the decision. They said they would not interfere in delicate matters, and whether there are hypocrites or not, that is a matter for discussion. BiH as it is today is not a product of the freely expressed will of BiH citizens; it is a product of a strange system created in Dayton out of the need to stop the war and shows all the contradictions inherent in it.

- Unfortunately, in these parts, it is not common in political discourse to approach with a cool head when it comes to understanding the other; that is foreign to these parts. And now to expect, as the PIC expects, that we are such a developed society, democrats with all the controversies that accompany us, is a bit too much. We are not, and it will take time to reach that stage. The escalation of the situation was expected. BiH is composed as it is, the war stopped, democratic institutions began to develop slowly. When the interest of the international community ceased and as the High Representative began to gradually withdraw, all the controversies began to surface.

You have to do it, the foreigners tell us. We should, but we were not brought into this state by ourselves; many things were imposed on us, by sheer administrative force, you cannot wash your hands of it, and now they tell us what do we have to do with it - you have a lot to do with it, gentlemen. There are double standards reflected in everything the PIC does. We cannot constantly deliver responsibility to them for what happens in our country. Their interests are numerous and BiH is not in the focus of their interests - added Komšić.

The PIC stated in its conclusions that there is secessionist rhetoric on all sides. Komšić says there is a kind of readiness to finally close this country into national enclosures.

- You will see after the elections that the story about amending the election law to form a special, predominantly ethnic electoral unit for the 2018 elections will start. In Sarajevo, there are very ready interlocutors to discuss this topic with Čović, while Dodik stands aside, says don't touch the RS, divide the Federation as you wish, and he supports that and thinks it is good. The problem is that there are those ready for it in Sarajevo as well, without any statesmanlike wisdom or concern for the people about what that could mean. Unfortunately, BiH has somehow returned to that story, and no one will say that we are leading and still trying to achieve war goals through political means - he commented.

On what the current political situation in BiH could lead to, Komšić said that one should carefully monitor who explains and says what.

- The referendum started, then Dodik's statements, and then Milanović's, and I know he thinks that way. It can't be that only I see it; no one wants to offend anyone or comment on how people see it.

Asked how he, as a participant in the war events who knows all the tragedy that war brings, views through that prism the statements made, for example, yesterday in Parliament when SNSD MP Milica Marković, speaking about the recent exercise of the Serbian MUP and the RS MUP, said that "Bosniaks should be afraid of that exercise which showed the strength of Serbia".

- That statement was made as a reply to my discussion when I said that the exercise is fine and that police forces should cooperate, but can you understand that that exercise you are boasting about scared Bosniaks, especially in Podrinje. What does that mean? Are you threatening us? Force always provokes force. Afterwards, she started to smooth things over and borrow the story, saying she didn't mean it that way, but was referring to terrorists. If you threaten with force, what do you expect from the other side? Every word we say is heavy. What is said publicly is not so insignificant. Don't play with such people, don't scare people - emphasized Komšić.

On the fact that Aleksandra Pandurević added to Milica Marković's statement that it referred to terrorists and criminals, Komšić said: "Our people have a saying: 'The mother did not scold her son for gambling, but for making excuses'".

Asked how he sees a solution to the current situation in the country, he said: "The solution is always within us and in the hands of this people. It will be as we wish in this country. Thank God, there is no threat from outside of someone rattling weapons, but when it comes to political stability, we must come to terms with one thing - that we can solve everything. Are we ready to hear those others who are not named like me, who do not pray to the same God? If we sincerely and honestly start talking, then we will get something, but if we are guided by 'it will be as I say', then nothing. It is up to us, Bosnians and Herzegovinians".