Open letter to Schmidt: Order the removal of national identifiers from the names of institutions funded by all citizens of Mostar

(Patria) - The civic initiative "Mostarski krug" sent an open letter to High Representative Christian Schmidt, in which it calls on him to apply the principles from Brčko to Mostar as well, through the harmonization of the names of public institutions with the multi-ethnic character of the city.

"We call on the Office of the High Representative (OHR) to, in accordance with the Statute it imposed itself, order the removal of national identifiers from the names of institutions funded by all citizens of Mostar," stated this civic initiative.

You can read the full content of the "Mostarski krug" letter below.

"Dear Mr. Christian Schmidt, dear representatives of the OHR.

The recent reaction of the OHR regarding the name of the 'Srpska kuća' (Serbian House) facility in Brčko District, which emphasized the need for public institutions and facilities to reflect the multi-ethnic character of Bosnia and Herzegovina, has opened an important issue of consistency in applying the same principles throughout the country.

We expect you to treat Mostar, as the largest multi-ethnic city in BiH, in the same way. Consistency in protecting the principles of multi-ethnicity cannot be selective, nor limited to certain areas.

The city of Mostar is a specific environment whose Statute was imposed by the High Representative with the aim of ensuring equality and multi-ethnic functioning.

Despite this, there are still public institutions in Mostar whose founders are the city authorities, and which contain national identifiers in their official names. Among them are, for example, Hrvatski dom Herceg Stjepan Kosača and Hrvatsko narodno kazalište Mostar (Croatian National Theatre Mostar), institutions funded by the resources of all citizens of Mostar.

Mostar is a city that has carried the burden of divisions for too long. Any institutional division among citizens is contrary to efforts towards lasting reintegration and building mutual trust.

Public institutions, especially those funded by all taxpayers, should reflect openness to all citizens through their names and activities, regardless of their national affiliation.

We expect the OHR, in accordance with its mandate and previous actions, to consider this issue and ensure equal standards throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina. The principles of equality and multi-ethnicity must be universal, and their application consistent.

We expect you to order the Mayor and the City Council of the City of Mostar to make such a decision, and if they do not do so within a reasonable time, to make it yourself, as the OHR also imposed this Statute.

To facilitate your decision-making, we must point out that a few years ago the name Bošnjački centar (Bosniak Center), which existed in the city as a public institution, was abolished and it now bears the name Centar za kulturu grada Mostara (Culture Center of the City of Mostar). Following the same principle, we request that the names of institutions with a Croatian prefix be harmonized.

We are convinced that only such an approach can contribute to the stability, trust, and European perspective of Mostar and Bosnia and Herzegovina as a whole."