Mehmedović: It is strategically important to eliminate SNSD and HDZ from future negotiations on parliamentary majority wherever possible

(Patria) - The session of the House of Representatives of the Parliament of Bosnia and Herzegovina is scheduled for January 22. It will not feature reform laws (on the Court and HJPC), but it will include the one on state property.

Is that too ambitious a move? How much is Bosnia and Herzegovina losing because an agreement was not reached for domestic companies to work on the Southern Interconnection? Will HDZ and SNSD rule again?

State representative Šemsudin Mehmedović spoke about these and other topics for N1 television today.

Mehmedović believes that putting the law on state property on the agenda is not too ambitious a move, considering the activities related to the construction of the Southern Interconnection, and that it will affect both private and state property.

He emphasizes that a law is urgently needed to define who, when, how, and in what way state property can be used, transferred, or sold.

- I am sure that the state level, i.e., the institutions of BiH, will not be a stumbling block when it comes to the construction of the Southern Interconnection, because we already have a precedent in parliamentary practice of resolving this issue by adopting, or rather, giving consent of the BiH Parliament, as in the case of the purchase of land for the US Embassy.

Therefore, if we draw a parallel, we can also resolve the issue of the Southern Interconnection construction in that way, by having a legal solution. But there are many unknowns - who will supply Goražde, who will supply Brčko district, whether it will be the northern or southern interconnection.

It is evident that these two hubs will remain without gas supply. Someone will certainly have to decide on this in the coming period - Mehmedović points out.

The Council of Ministers of BiH has announced a competition for the selection of new members of the Concessions Commission, whose mandate expired five years ago. Previously, these competitions were blocked by SNSD and Minister Staša Košarac. The interviewer's question was - will it be different this time?

- Given that this is part of Dodik's agreement with the administration of the United States of America, I expect SNSD to be very cooperative, and we all know that in fact, people who are even over 80 years old sit on the BiH Concessions Commission because their mandate expired about ten years ago.

This was an inevitable move by the Council of Ministers of BiH that should have been made many years earlier, but this - what is, is - better late than never - Mehmedović is of the opinion.

He assesses that an agenda is being implemented that aims to portray BiH as completely dysfunctional, because people who work for the interests of our neighboring countries are in the BiH government, and one example is the failure to reach an agreement regarding the Southern Interconnection.

- This is a political and legal nonsense that is, unfortunately, evident on the BiH political scene. In BiH, there are political factors that now form the majority in the Council of Ministers, who, based on their strategic political agreement, are implementing, I have said this several times and I repeat again, the Tuđman-Milošević agreement. If we look at the details of this agreement, we will see that all their moves are in that direction - Mehmedović believes.

He emphasizes that Dragan Čović is a skilled negotiator and that he will delay and obstruct the Southern Interconnection project to the extent that his demands, dictated to him at a meeting with a representative of the American Embassy, are met.

- It will not be blocked, I am sure, this project is beneficial for the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina, for the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina - Mehmedović added.

One of the questions he answered was whether SNSD and the Troika would find a compromise regarding the appointment of the chief negotiator with the EU?

- Those who negotiate with SNSD and HDZ on behalf of the Troika, it seems to me, have continued this policy of leniency towards anti-Bosnian political projects because they block several things and then seek concessions.

I think this is unacceptable, given that this is an election year and that after the General Elections in 2026, whoever wins the citizens' trust will have to pay close attention to the political agreement by which some new parliamentary majority would be formed.

Things must be put on a healthy foundation and aligned with the BiH Constitution. If not, then it doesn't matter who is in power. Let it not be as it has been, unfortunately, until now.

This general race, let's just take ministerial and prime ministerial positions and let us govern. We don't need power if it's like it has been so far - Mehmedović states.

He also says that the elections for the president of the Republika Srpska entity showed that SNSD is losing citizen support in the smaller BiH entity.

- This means that we are on the right track in terms of eliminating SNSD from the Council of Ministers and from every level of government wherever possible. Unfortunately, HDZ has kept SNSD in power at the state level.

Let's remember that we in the House of Representatives dismissed two ministers and made decisions about the office of the chief negotiator, we were ready to appoint, i.e., elect the chief negotiator.

But it is evident that Borjana Krišto, implementing HDZ's policy as the Chairwoman of the Council of Ministers, along with her like-minded colleagues, prevented a complete change, and in the House of Peoples together with Čović, so SNSD is not the only obstructionist.

HDZ is also an obstructionist. It is strategically important to eliminate these two political parties from future negotiations on any parliamentary majority wherever possible - said Mehmedović.

He believes that a parliamentary majority should be formed based on election results with those who want the progress of this country.

- And HDZ, by supporting the retrograde policies of SNSD, has actually shown that its priority is personal interest, then party interest, and only then possibly the European - NATO path of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Therefore, I believe that everything should be done to remove such policies from the institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina, to finally free the BiH institutions from these shackles that have held Bosnia and Herzegovina captive for years and kept it in agony.

And of course, the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina, especially the young population who have no hope, do not see their future in Bosnia and Herzegovina with such policies - Mehmedović concluded.

He sees the solution for this in the application of new electoral technologies that would prevent election fraud.

- They will, I am sure, remember what I said, change the political structure at the state and all other levels, because this was more than obvious. The last elections for the president of RS showed the extent of fraud in those elections.

There have been obstructions before, but we have provided all the necessary prerequisites for the equipment to be procured, for the Central Election Commission to test the equipment, to install it and align its rules with new technologies, and for the citizens of BiH to finally have fair elections - Mehmedović added.