Perić: Bosnia and Herzegovina is a graveyard of European values, elections are completely meaningless

(Patria) - Bosnia and Herzegovina's European path is shrouded in secrecy and uncertainty, while the country is shackled by corruption.

Distrust in the electoral system and judiciary are key problems that will have to be addressed.

In the new geopolitical relations, Bosnia and Herzegovina will have to choose its clear policy and strategy, said retired judge of the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Branko Perić, in the "No Beating Around the Bush" segment of BN TV's Morning Program.

We still do not have the final results of the early elections in Republika Srpska, even though the deadline for their announcement has passed. This is because the government is corrupt and everything is based on fraud, the retired judge of the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Branko Perić, is clear.

"This is a social problem, not just an election problem. You see that corruption is at all levels and that it is generated from centers of political power. I think politics is working against itself and that elections are completely meaningless and that turnout will be lower and lower," says Perić.

He is not convinced that the introduction of scanners can be an obstacle in the fight against electoral corruption and a path to fair and free elections.

"It is necessary if it will solve the problem. I do not know how the use of scanners is planned. There is probably some possibility to influence elections to be fair and free, but I doubt it. There is nothing that our people will not spoil and abuse," Perić believes.

Fair and free elections are one of the European tasks, as is judicial reform. The laws on the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council and the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina, over which battles are now being fought, are not reform laws, says Perić.

"Reform laws should solve problems in the judiciary, and the main problems are an inefficient system, bad laws, poor penal policy, crime in institutions, various scandals that burden judicial institutions and have led to the level of trust falling to a historic low."

The retired judge of the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina opposes examining the origin of judges' and prosecutors' assets, considering that this is not the best way to achieve integrity.

"The bigger problem is political influence on judges and prosecutors. It undermines integrity more than the assets of 10, 50 people that could be examined. The foundation of independence is to prevent any external influence on judges and prosecutors," says Perić.

Speaking about Bosnia and Herzegovina 30 years after Dayton, Perić says the country is at a crossroads and must adopt a clear strategy and policy in the new geopolitical relations.

Today, he says, we are at a graveyard of European values and every story about our European path is shrouded in a veil of secrecy and uncertainty.