Open Letter to HNS: How Are SDP's Croats Now "Legitimate" Enough?

SDP BiH has sent an open letter to the leaders of the Croatian National Assembly, regarding the invitation to participate in the upcoming HNS Assembly. Novinska agencija Patria publishes the letter in full. 

-The Social Democratic Party of Bosnia and Herzegovina welcomes the fact that representatives of the Croatian National Assembly of BiH have confirmed and acknowledged that SDP BiH is a genuine multi-ethnic party that gathers representatives of the Croatian people, as well as all other peoples and citizens who are completely equal within this party.

In the SDP, we support the work of citizens' associations and non-governmental organizations, even those that gather members of exclusively one people, when their work is based on democratic principles, when they do not threaten others and those who are different, and when they accept the constitutional and legal order of Bosnia and Herzegovina. 

SDP BiH advocates for the realization of the rights of all citizens and constituent peoples and has no need to hide behind various umbrella organizations. SDP BiH is the umbrella organization for all those who prioritize the well-being of BiH citizens and the state of BiH.

With the invitation, sent for the announced session of the Croatian National Assembly of BiH through legislative and executive authorities at all levels to elected members of the Croatian people in BiH, members of SDP BiH, Croats elected to legislative and executive authorities, also feel called upon and addressed.

We understand this invitation as an acknowledgment of the defeat of the policy of segregation, according to which only those who carry an HDZ membership card in their pocket are true representatives of Croats. It would be interesting to hear from representatives of HNS, but also HDZ BiH, which is effectively the owner of this non-governmental organization, an explanation of why SDP Croats are now „good enough“ and „legitimate“ Croats, when this has always been disputed before?  Is it possible that HDZ BiH is afraid that it will not be able to fulfill the promises made to Croats in BiH, so they are applying already tested recipes and seeking broad support, so that they do not have to bear responsibility alone after once again betraying BiH Croats, but also all other citizens of BiH. 

HDZ BiH, as the political force behind HNS, has been in power almost all the time since its founding. They are now part of the current ruling coalition, which imposes an obligation and gives them the opportunity to represent the interests of the Croatian people in BiH through formal institutions of government.  We call on them to do so together with their partners and finally form a government, rather than trying to secure themselves in advance for the very likely failure of their rule, by shifting responsibility to political parties that are in opposition.

SDP BiH calls on the leadership of HNS BiH, if they are truly sincere in their invitation, to make a decision as soon as possible whereby Croats who wish and have the right to participate in the HNS session are not conditioned by their political affiliation, thereby showing that they are ready to open HNS to left-wing political options, as well as to other parties operating in BiH that have BiH Croats in their ranks.

This implies, above all, a clear abandonment of the idea of creating a third entity, which represents an unacceptable form of further fragmentation of BiH and its division along ethnic lines.

As a party of all BiH peoples and citizens, SDP BiH will never agree to such a thing, and its members will not participate in the work of any organizations that continue to propagate retrograde ideas and views, because they are contrary to the fundamental values of the progress of BiH as a modern state of all its citizens, the letter concludes.