Can the people stand up against Bosnian politicians: Why we remain silent in the face of our own misery and humiliation

By: Amra Varatanović

For months, demobilised and disenfranchised veterans have been protesting in tents in front of the FBiH Government building, but in the fight for their rights and those of thousands of other comrades (and their families), they remain alone. Citizens visit them less and less often, and the relocation of the FBiH Government is also announced. The veterans have said: wherever the Government goes, they go too. For now, the Government is staying put, and so are the veterans. As always happens, some individuals tried to secure certain benefits for themselves and, under the guise of "negotiators," reached an agreement with the Minister for Veterans, Salko Bukvarević, and left the camp. Those who saw through the game and did not accept the minister's empty promises remained in front of the Government. The veterans in front of the Government and those "negotiators" are still in the same place.

In the first days, the veterans were also visited by Prime Minister Fadil Novalić along with his advisor, retired General Fikret Prevljak. Instead of showing social sensitivity (if they even know what that is), the guests came to the veterans in an authoritarian and ultimatum manner. For months, they have endured humiliation sleeping on the ground in front of the Government, with officials passing by as if they were invisible, and they have been told they are idlers. But there is clearly no room for honest people among those who multiply their positions.

Many of these veterans gave their best years to defend Bosnia and Herzegovina. Most of them are no longer physically capable of heavy labour, and their psycho-social state is hardly worth mentioning. It is unknown how many participants of the past war have fallen ill with PTSD, how many of them were able to continue a normal life at all, knowing they lack even the basics—a job, shelter, and food. Is it not a tragedy of this country that 25 years after the war, we have hundreds of people who have no rights at all, despite having fought and bled for this land?

We are often inclined to say: Well, those aren't our problems, they're not the only ones... And perhaps that claim would be true if we didn't have accumulated problems ourselves. We have no water, no access to medical treatment, no jobs, our young people are leaving, entire families. And then, when we as a people should clearly and loudly demand our basic human rights, we completely fail. As the esteemed academician Esad Duraković said, "the ultimate responsibility actually lies with the people who accept their own misery and hopelessness, their humiliation..."

And truly, is it not humiliating to fill water canisters in the 21st century, to run from pharmacy to pharmacy for necessary medicines and other medical supplies because they are not available at the Clinical Centre of the University of Sarajevo, to accept any job instead of the one you are qualified for, to watch full buses of young people leaving, never to return?

How can we continue to endure and remain silent in the face of the daily lies with which politicians fill our heads? What positive parameters are they talking about—reduced unemployment, investments, mass employment? Do they not see that even the cities are becoming increasingly deserted? Who will they "sell a bill of goods" to in a few years?

Instead of accepting reality and saying how to deal with these problems, they skilfully use them for mutual settling of scores and accusations.

The best example of how mired we are as a society is the pensioner population. About 400,000 of them, not counting military pensioners, are on the very brink of poverty. In their old age, they are forced to sell apartments or enter into marriages in order to live on two pensions. Although their justified demands for pension increases have not been accepted, those who represent them have abandoned the strike several times. An increase in some pensions is only announced, pending the adoption of a law. Everything is on hold, including the pensioners. May the one who waits long enough. Here too, pensioners have been manipulated. Although they are a significant voting bloc, it is clear that they either do not know how or do not want to use that advantage.

Political manipulation in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the methods used by politicians to deceive their own people (all peoples of BiH, editor's note) could serve as the basis for academic literature.

Special forms of citizen manipulation began long ago. Orchestrated incitement of intolerance, threats of new conflicts, social stratification, existential uncertainty have burdened Bosnian society. And instead of rebelling, taking to the streets, we burn our fingers on social media and make jokes at our own expense.

But when politicians present us with their bill next year, we will no longer have anything to laugh about. Unless we realise that it is not tomorrow, but now, that it is time to wake up and say: Down with the liars. It is time for the people.