It's not too late, but there's no more time for passive observation of events in BiH!

By Ernad Metaj

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It is high time for pro-Bosnian parties to intensify interaction with the academic community and citizens in order to produce action that will exert additional pressure on international, but primarily domestic political actors. Thus, today we heard many opinions that all negotiations regarding the Election Law and changes to the BiH Constitution should be suspended until the institutions of BiH are unblocked.

SDA MP Šemsudin Mehmedović points out in this regard that the continuation of negotiations would condition the withdrawal of the SNSD Declaration adopted in Pale. In that Declaration, SNSD clearly stated its commitment to activating the "right to self-determination" if it does not get its own army and judiciary. For Mehmedović, this has the character of a declaration of war. According to him, SNSD has the support of HDZ and Croatia in this, whose president is trying to drag BiH into negotiations with neighboring countries that committed aggression against BiH in the nineties.

- If Dodik is not forced to withdraw the SNSD Declaration, it is a clear message to Bosniaks and pro-Bosnian forces to reset their positions and clearly confront the situation and protect the state of BiH, Mehmedović wrote.

Those who are against divisions, for peace and agreements within the institutions of BiH should finally show that they have the strength to punish all those who would destroy state institutions, while heavily charging for their inaction.

In this regard, gathering masses in front of party headquarters, the property of those who promote division and secessionism would be a message of strength and unity necessary for respect from international actors, and on the other hand, a clear indication that it is known who is to blame for the situation in BiH.

It is not too late, but there is no more time for passive observation of events in BiH.

After the first round of negotiations with representatives of the USA and the EU, it can be said that the political forces that want a functional and unified state have surprised international representatives with their determination to defend principles this time that will not allow further division of BiH.

In this regard, there was even a common stance from NIP, which publicly leaned towards accommodating the unrealistic and dangerous demands of HDZ for the state, with the Chairman of the BiH Presidency Željko Komšić.

The forces that do not want the division of the state have taken the first, important step, but much more will be needed for the final victory. One way is to respond to the SNSD Declaration with a joint document of all parties that want to preserve BiH, which would define the minimum below which they cannot go.

Intensification of diplomatic and lobbying activities is necessary to nullify what seems to be the initial advantage of BiH's enemies, supported by strong political support from Croatia and Serbia.

In that support, especially from Croatia, the line of diplomatic correctness is often crossed, but it also goes far below the moral standards on which modern civilization rests. Thus, with those like Croatian President Zoran Milanović, who has respect for war criminal Slobodan Praljak, but not for his victims, and publicly tells them they should be grateful to Croats because they didn't commit genocide either, one must take a decisive and uncompromising stance.

In this regard, it is good that the Chairman of the BiH Presidency Željko Komšić, at a time when the President of Republika Srpska Željka Cvijanović is lobbying in the USA, will still have the opportunity to talk with much more serious and important international representatives. In this regard, it is symbolically important that Komšić is in the same company as US President Joe Biden, prime ministers, and presidents of other countries.

Every contact Komšić makes there, and a meeting with Biden is also announced, is important for BiH. At this moment, the meeting between SDA President Bakir Izetbegović and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, without the presidents of Serbia and Croatia, is also important.

A diplomatic offensive by those who want a normal BiH should have started long ago, because the civilized world, like Germany, which should have rewarded the denier of genocide in Srebrenica, will correct its views when you convince them with arguments that it is necessary.

It is important to continue with activities to raise awareness among European parliamentarians so that they exert pressure on EU institutions through their engagement, so that they finally start defending their own values in BiH.

The demand of EU parliamentarians for sanctions against Milorad Dodik showed that BiH has friends in the EU, and now it is the obligation of all patriotic forces in our country to expand the network of those who will understand what is really happening in BiH.