Constituent status is something that has long ceased to exist in the EU, it is time for HDZ to finally accept it

A. Čorbo-Zećo

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DF officials proposed amendments to the Election Law during the day, requesting that the national determinant be deleted when electing members of the BiH Presidency, that the House of Peoples be filled according to the 1991 census, and that a civic system of majority based on the principle of one voter one vote be applied. Čolak points out that the Constitutional Court of BiH, in its rulings on the appeal of Božo Ljubić, confirmed that the equality of the three peoples must be ensured when electing political representatives.

"The constitutional principle of collective equality prohibits any dominance in the structures of power, it prohibits any privilege of any nation," says Čolak, HINA reports.

This high-ranking HDZ official points out that the DF's proposal is civic and represents the dominance of the more numerous nation.

He forgot to explain how the HDZ's proposal is contrary to the EU and in line with South Africa during apartheid.

"The European standard of one person one vote applies in complex communities only at the local level and in the lower house of Parliament. At higher levels, especially those with bicameral parliaments, the principle of one person one vote applies only in the lower house," explained Čolak.

He cited examples of multinational communities such as Belgium or Switzerland.

Čolak forgot that Croatia undertook a real diplomatic offensive within the EU after the elections in BiH on October 7 to try to convince EU member states that the results of the October elections were to the detriment of Croats, and that the election of Željko Komšić to the BiH Presidency was not a legitimate choice, but they ultimately suffered a defeat in Brussels. This was indirectly admitted by the Croatian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Marija Pejčinović Burić, after a meeting in 2018. She told reporters that the ministers had taken the position that the European path was important, that there were more and more those "who understand Croatia's concerns," and that BiH would continue to be discussed in the EU.

However, the mood among EU member states is not what Croatia expected. Croatia advocates for a constituent organization of BiH in which the three peoples would be holders of power, while EU countries advocate for a civic organization in which the citizen would come first.

"Of course, after more than 20 years, Europe is going in a different direction. It is moving towards the civic principle. That is the part of the problem where states have different positions. So, should BiH be viewed through the valid Constitution and the provisions of the Dayton Peace Agreement, i.e., the constituent status of peoples and the representation of all other citizens as prescribed, or should it go down the path defined by European legal acquis, which is that states should be organized in a modern way, according to the model, when it comes to elections, one person - one vote. So, the issue is the approach to how to view BiH," stated Pejčinović Burić.

Constituent status is something that has long ceased to exist in the EU, and for the good of all citizens of this country, it is necessary to understand this as soon as possible. It is time for HDZ to understand this too.