Youngest candidate to lead an election list in BiH speaks five languages and believes in overcoming the crisis

Edita Velić (22) is a senior student at the Faculty of Information Technologies in Mostar, speaks five world languages and is the youngest candidate to lead an election list for the General Elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which will be held on October 12, writes the Bosnian news agency Patria.

Velić is a candidate of the Democratic Front - Željko Komšić, and she is running for the Assembly of the Bosnian-Podrinje Canton Goražde. She believes that after October 12, once she gains the trust of voters, life in this BiH canton, which has seen strong economic development in recent years, will become much more interesting, especially for young people.

- In our canton, there is money, industry is developing quite well, but there are no other activities that would make the lives of citizens here happier – says Velić for the Bosnian news agency Patria (NAP).

- Everyone agrees that industry is developing here, but at the same time, an environment is being created where people constantly work and have no time for other things, such as sports or culture. Society in the Bosnian-Podrinje Canton is not adapted to the 21st century. And that is one of the main reasons I entered politics. I do not want to say that people before me did not work to improve this situation, but they obviously did not do enough or well enough. I cannot allow my fellow citizens to become slaves who only work in factories; I want to help develop other social activities alongside industry.

Velić is very active in the non-governmental sector through various domestic and international organizations, such as the Mozaik Foundation, the International Commission, and other NGOs. She says she fought for her place in society on her own, through constant investment in education. She now wants to pass on positive energy and experiences to others, as a politician.

- The programs followed by educational institutions in BiH do not offer enough space for pupils and students to show their creativity – says Velić.

- That is why I had to expand my knowledge on my own, through additional education. In this way, I learned English, French, German, Turkish, and Spanish, but also acquired other skills. So, I am an example that young and persistent people can be productive in Bosnia and Herzegovina, even though the country is in a difficult political and economic situation. But to achieve anything in life, you first have to activate the energy you keep inside you.

That Bosnia and Herzegovina is a promising country and that changes can happen here, says Velić, citizens have shown through several concrete examples, such as when they pressured state authorities to solve some key problems that were pressing them.

- Remember how the problem with personal identification numbers was solved – explains Velić.

- Babies could not get a personal identification number after birth. When their parents stood up, when they told politicians that it had to be solved immediately - the problem was solved! Ordinary people, especially young people, must solve other problems that bother them in the same way. They must not be passive and wait for someone else to solve the lack of jobs, the poor education system, the weak healthcare. Because that will never happen. We have to organize this country ourselves.

Velić places great hope in the 600,000 young people living in Bosnia and Herzegovina. For her, this is a mass that can bring huge positive changes to BiH. And, she says, young people can show their strength in just ten days, by going to the polls and voting for the right people, writes NAP.