Nikšić: We insist on several principles, the House of Peoples cannot be more important than the House of Representatives!

(Patria) - In the first edition of Rezime on FTV this week, Nermin Nikšić, president of SDP BiH, was a guest.

He emphasized that SDP has clearly stated its positions on the meetings in Neum.

"A few months ago, SDP stated that it is freezing its participation in negotiations on constitutional changes and the Election Law in a situation where we have an open attack on the constitutional order and state system of BiH, when laws have been passed in the National Assembly of Republika Srpska and decisions are planned for the adoption of laws. We believe it would be quite hypocritical to talk about other things while pretending that nothing is happening, and we see how it is happening. We even thought it was a waste of time for Mr. Dodik and his followers to pass these deadlines they spoke of and to face the fact that it is possible for laws to be passed and for this attack on the state of BiH to continue. We received confirmation of our commitment in the fact that the ultimatum of Mr. Dodik, who said that they should not interfere in the elections in RS, has apparently been accepted by international mediators and representatives of the international community. And then they held a meeting in Neum, a Bosniak-Croat conversation about the state of BiH and FBiH. As a civic party, and I am glad that two other civic political parties, DF and Naša stranka, along with SDP, did not participate in this, because I believe that we cannot be in the same sentence when we talk about the common positions of the Bosniak representation. We are trying to be and want to be the BiH representation and political parties that represent the interests of all citizens in the entire BiH."

When asked if it was wise to say no to the EU and the US, he replied: "It can be viewed from that angle. Whether this will now produce some consequences, I believe it will not, but regardless, we are fully aware of all the consequences that may arise. I believe it is finally time to say enough is enough in some matters. Enough of supporting and yielding to those who openly destroy the state of BiH and who try to achieve their interests through blackmail. We do not accept discussions on the topic of 'it will be as we say or not at all.' It can't be like that anymore. As for SDP, enough is enough."

He emphasizes that everyone chooses their political path and how they will implement decisions.

"Each of us bears the burden of their decisions. Nothing happened in Neum without them knowing what our position was and what our position is, because we have talked about it countless times and in the end, nothing was agreed upon."

Nikšić says that SDP does not ask someone else to do their job.

"Unfortunately, we are in the situation we are in. If we could have agreed, we wouldn't need a high representative, the European Commission, or mediators. We just want priorities to be aligned. And we allow others to have different priorities. For us, the priority is the state of BiH. For us, the priority is to start discussing the decisions of the National Assembly of Republika Srpska as soon as possible and how to bring those decisions within the framework of the law, how to stop those decisions, how to annul them. That is the key issue. What will happen if we continue negotiations on the Election Law, we will not agree, and we will not agree for another month, two, three, let's face it, six months have passed, and no one has even mentioned it. How is it possible that the Election Law, the state of BiH, is being resolved without a single party based in RS being invited? Neither the ruling nor the opposition. So, the problem in this country is the relations between Bosniaks and Croats, and the problem is not what the National Assembly has decided?"

He states that a part of the Bosniak representation genuinely advocated for certain civic principles.

"The principles advocated by SDP and other civic parties are generally known, and we should not discuss them at this moment until this issue that hangs over BiH is resolved – possible secession, an open attack on the constitutional order."

He points out that SDP is the leader of the opposition as the strongest opposition multi-ethnic political party in BiH.

"I don't want to take away anyone's prefix or relationship. It's no secret that we are the government in KS as the Trojka and that we have a wide range of political approaches of political parties and orientations. We are also the government in Tuzla Canton, where we also have some other political parties that we can say are more ethnic than civic. We are part of the government in USK. Of course, it is a wide range, that does not exclude our cooperation. Nothing bothers me that SDA is a Bosniak party, SBB, NiP, why would it? We are simply trying to build our political path. I don't think that can disrupt the unity of the Trojka in Sarajevo. Konaković told me that he is surprised by some firm positions of certain political parties, but he also believes that they have opened some interesting questions. Of course, he is fully aware of some of our political positions, just as we are aware that if these political parties that were in Neum and political parties from RS reach a certain agreement, they have the necessary majority to vote it through in Parliament. In the meantime, we will always offer certain solutions and constantly align these priorities that we think about. There are many open questions when we talk about the civic concept that need to be put on the table and tried to be arranged. So, we insist on several principles - it is completely indifferent to us whether the elections for the Presidency member will be direct or indirect, but that they are held throughout BiH, we do not accept any asymmetric solutions. And the second thing, which is more important to us at this moment, is the issue of the jurisdiction of the House of Peoples and reducing it to deciding only on vital national interest."

When asked if the non-appearance of DF, Naša stranka, and SDP in Neum is the beginning of a coalition, Nikšić says: "You know that SDP, DF, and Naša stranka were the BiH bloc for a period. We also had a quality electoral result that allowed us to perform much better as the BiH bloc on the political scene. Unfortunately, at that time, there was no understanding. At that moment, DF set some other priorities for itself. We haven't discussed it at all now. I see now that it's some conspiracy of mine, Peđa's, and Željko's. Željko and I haven't spoken for a month, we saw each other once. The decision of DF has nothing to do with the decision of SDP, or that we have now done something against those who went to Neum. I am fighting for no one to be able to object to those who went and participated, and now they should object to us for not going. We have participated in all negotiations so far, offered solutions, saw that no one is paying too much attention to what we offer as solutions, that no one is talking about the civic principle, that everyone is looking at how to satisfy the ethnic principle, and we knew that this would lead nowhere. And unfortunately, it turned out to be nowhere. I was ready to be the first person to congratulate them on reaching a quality agreement. But enough is enough of assuming that SDP will yield because SDP is a state-building party. We will not yield anymore, we have our priorities. At this moment, we believe that the state of BiH is threatened, that it is illusory to talk about this at all in a situation where we have decisions from the National Assembly of Republika Srpska that lead to the direct dissolution of BiH."

He believes that the electoral method of electing the Presidency member is unacceptable.

"First of all, it is an asymmetric solution. Imagine what that means. Then BiH is not one state, it is a community of states. We are talking about one state, about members of the same body. We can find an electoral model in both RS and FBiH. It can be indirect, all three members in Parliament. It can also be direct. Palmer and Eichhorst accepted Dodik's blackmail. I don't know what the political trade is, we will see."

Regarding the opposition of HDZ and HNS to reducing the competencies of the House of Peoples, he says: "I can understand the reasons that guide them because it is their mechanism of influence on the executive power and blockade. I understand that position, but the fact is that at this moment we have something that does not exist anywhere else in the world and that the citizens of BiH do not deserve. The citizens of BiH deserve all the standards that others have in the democratic world. I believe that the House of Peoples should decide only on matters of vital national interest, and due to our history, due to what we have been through, due to the war and aggression, due to the distrust we have, we have no problem with that spectrum of laws and issues that are of vital national interest to be expanded and increased. But we do not agree to have two representative houses where one is more important."

He emphasizes that SDP has not changed its position, and the public will be informed if that happens.

"It is acceptable for us that the discussion returns to the institutions."

When it comes to EU sanctions, Nikšić states that it is evident that there will be no consensus in the EU.

"This means there will be no sanctions, I deeply believe that certain member states will impose sanctions. I believe that the US will also continue with sanctions. Sanctions are not the only solution, but they are a step towards eliminating and punishing those who obstruct. The solution is something that domestic politicians should adopt in the BiH Parliament."

He says he does not know if what Nenad Stevandić is saying is Milorad Dodik's policy.

"Stevandić's statement is a change of course. It shows that they in RS will not give up on protecting themselves from responsibility before BiH judiciary. On the other hand, the Indirect Taxation Authority and the army are currently a very big burden for the executive power in RS, and they certainly could not finance, carry out, or bear it if they went into that adventure. So, nothing is happening there unplanned or by chance. The story about the HJPC is actually an attempt to escape responsibility and the maturing of awareness among them about what they have done, that sooner or later the time will come when they will have to account before the BiH judiciary."

He believes that in RS they should accept the arguments and give up on transferring competencies.

"We clearly have leaders who have crossed the red line, who have realized that there is no turning back, that they are losing their positions, and that only in this way can they remain free. And they will go all the way in trying to realize their goals. The solution is a part of sanctions that must yield certain results because this is the Balkans. And the second is a quality political response from political parties on the scene in the state Parliament."

He emphasizes that the Election Law is both a political and legal problem.

"But we are now trying to solve a problem by isolating a part of the country where the situation is worse than here in the Federation. We have two possible scenarios when it comes to holding elections - one is a boycott of the elections, and the other is a blockade, or prevention of the elections. Domestic authorities and the international community must have ready answers for these situations."

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