No inter-party talks on Election Law until everyone returns to BiH institutions

SARAJevo, (Patria) – Although it is already clear that there will be no negotiations on the Election Law of BiH, the Social Democratic Party of BiH will officially make its decision to freeze talks tomorrow at the session of its Presidency.

Saša Magazinović, SDP BiH MP in the House of Representatives of the BiH Parliamentary Assembly, stated that “SDP will withdraw from the negotiations on the Election Law because we do not want to be accomplices in buying time and creating an illusion of normalcy at a time when nothing is normal.”

“The decision is difficult, but it is the only correct one. Unblocking institutions, and then continuing the talks,” Magazinović stated.

Vojin Mijatović, Vice-President of SDP BiH, will attend the Presidency session tomorrow, and prior to the decision-making, he stated that there is no more room for concessions to secessionists.

“SDP BiH will make a decision tomorrow at the Presidency session to withdraw from negotiations on the election law. I deeply believe that other political parties whose priority interest is the sovereignty and integrity of the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina will follow us in this decision. Unfortunately, the international community, consciously or unconsciously, has focused on electoral law reforms, while certain political forces are tearing BiH apart. The burning issue in BiH is Milorad Dodik and his coalition that is destroying BiH, and someone is clearly trying to divert attention elsewhere. All negotiations should return to the institutions of BiH, and only when everyone returns to these institutions will we be ready to talk about all problems, including electoral legislation; until then, there will be no more negotiations with those who act unconstitutionally and who insult the state of BiH and its citizens every day,” Mijatović clearly emphasized.

Other parties might follow the example of SDP, and SDA, DF, and likely SBB will consider such an option at their party bodies, while Naša stranka believes such a decision is unnecessary as the negotiations have already been cancelled. NiP is of the opinion that it is better to go in circles than not to talk at all.

HDZ BiH did not comment today, although they are the only party that set an ultimatum and conditioned the holding of elections unless changes to the Law were adopted according to their wishes.

These parties should clearly state in their decisions that there will be no mutual talks or negotiations with HDZ BiH until state institutions are unblocked, which HDZ has also begun to use as a means of blackmail and pressure.