Neither Dayton nor '95: Talks yes, Neum no!

By: A. Vrabac 

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Presidents of parliamentary parties in the BiH PA received a letter inviting them to confirm their arrival in Neum on January 28, where negotiations on the BiH Election Law and limited changes to the BiH Constitution will be held at the Marea Hotel.

US envoy for electoral reform Matthew Palmer and European representative Angelina Eichhorst are arriving in BiH tonight. They were last in Sarajevo at the end of November and the beginning of December, and cancelled their arrival in mid-December due to the lack of conditions for continuing the talks.

SDP BiH clearly stated that it will not negotiate the BiH Election Law while the state is blocked, its institutions are being undermined, and competencies are being unilaterally transferred from the state to the BiH entity of RS. Although SDA initially joined this idea, they quickly changed their minds and announced they would agree to talks. 

However, what is problematic at this moment is that the talks are being moved out of Sarajevo and far from official institutions, primarily the Parliamentary Assembly of BiH, where any agreement should be formalized by a vote in the BiH Parliament. A simple majority is sufficient for amendments to the Election Law, but a two-thirds majority of deputies is required for amendments to the BiH Constitution.

Political parties are still not commenting on whether they will respond to the talks in Neum, but those who agree to such talks must be aware that they are complicit in undermining legitimate state institutions and the Parliament of BiH itself.

International mediators must know that BiH is not in 1995 and that this is not about a new Dayton, and that the pressure they are trying to create at this crucial moment for BiH can only have a negative effect.

During her visit to Sarajevo, USAID Administrator Samantha Power clearly stated that US President Joe Biden expects state institutions to function, and the best way to achieve this is for negotiations on the Election Law to be held in the building of the Parliamentary Assembly of BiH.

So, if it is necessary for them to sit in that building for days, so be it. We all remember the protests for JMBG in June and July 2013, when citizens even blocked the BiH Parliament building, and the law was adopted very quickly. 

In the current case, when negotiating the BiH Election Law and the BiH Constitution, which concern all citizens of BiH, there is no reason for the talks to be held secretly and in private hotels, bypassing official institutions. All presidents of parliamentary parties should be aware of this and clearly demand that the talks be held in Sarajevo, if they believe there are conditions for negotiations while the state is blocked. 

Excuses about avoiding pressure from the media, the public, or any other type of pressure cannot justify such a demand from foreigners.

Those who agree to this manner of talks, or any potential agreements detrimental to Bosnia and Herzegovina, will be held accountable for all eventual decisions that could harm the state.

After 26 years of peace, after the Dayton Peace Agreement, there is no need for "new peace negotiations on the Election Law". The state of BiH is indeed at a crucial moment, but the culprits for such a situation are clearly identifiable. Therefore, the only correct answer from the party presidents should be – talks yes, Neum no.

Only in this way would they show responsibility towards the state of BiH, its citizens, and ultimately towards their voters.