Letter for salvation: Schmidt has so far mostly not acted in accordance with the obligations of his mandate

(Patria) - A document signed by a number of intellectuals, as well as political representatives in BiH, was sent to relevant addresses in the world and in BiH this morning.

"Regarding the current crisis in Bosnia and Herzegovina, we address the domestic and international public, domestic and foreign institutions, and political entities that have influence on the creation of political and social reality in BiH. With this address, we point out the key mistakes being made in BiH, and towards BiH, which constantly and dramatically worsen the situation in the country, endangering the foundations of its statehood and its survival.

A part of the political entities in BiH has been antagonizing the peoples in BiH for a long time and persistently, preparing its disintegration on that basis. We demand that political entities in power and in opposition offer decisive resistance to these disintegrating factors, and not make compromises with them at the expense of BiH's statehood and the full equality of its citizens and peoples.

The High Representative Christian Schmidt has so far mostly not acted in accordance with the obligations of his mandate. His amendments to the Election Law and the Constitution of the FBiH are significant and long-term mistakes.

By passing amendments to the Election Law on election night, the High Representative legalized the inequality of BiH citizens throughout its territory, which a significant number of international institutions (Bundestag, Council of Europe, etc.) have also spoken out against.

Precisely these days, the National Assembly of Republika Srpska (NSRS) passed the Law on Non-Recognition of the Decisions of the Constitutional Court of BiH. Schmidt, reasonably, qualified this as an attack on the constitutional order of BiH and on the Dayton Peace Agreement itself, and – in accordance with that – annulled that Law.

However, this is not enough and is not in line with the qualification of that act by the NSRS, because it is necessary for the High Representative to immediately dismiss from political positions those whom he said are destroying the constitutional order and the Dayton Peace Agreement. This is a necessary
political action, and criminal responsibility should take its course. At the same time, these days we read in the media that the US envoy for the Western Balkans, Gabriel Escobar, is verbalizing that "there will be consequences if Dodik violates the Dayton Agreement".

As an extremely important missionary for BiH, Mr. Escobar issues this "conditional threat" precisely after Dodik has already attacked the foundations of the Dayton Agreement. For a long time, the international community has only been verbalizing in BiH.

The knowledge that the division of state property to the entities is being prepared in Republika Srpska and the OHR is particularly concerning. We insist that the state remains the sole holder of that property, which can only be given for use to the entities, i.e., local communities. Dispossession of the state of BiH would be fatal to its statehood.

It is necessary to take into account the context in which political entities in Republika Srpska insist on the distribution of state property. This persistent demand is made along with the adoption of the Law on Non-Recognition of the Constitutional Court of BiH, non-recognition of the High Representative, preparations for a referendum on the secession of Republika Srpska, etc.

Therefore, the distribution of state property, i.e., the dispossession of the state of BiH, represents one of the key strategic moves of the President of Republika Srpska for the secession of that entity. The OHR must take these facts into account and not accommodate them.

The international community, as well as its High Representative, have so far mostly been observers of the crisis development in BiH and have most often only expressed concern. Instead of verbalization, we demand effective action from the international community, and thus from the High Representative, to preserve the statehood of BiH, to finally overcome the crisis in which it has been struggling for thirty years. We are not asking for anything more than for BiH to be organized like other European democratic and civic states and societies.

The international community – and thus the High Representative – has an obligation to BiH in this regard and direction because BiH was the victim of international aggression, part of which is the committed genocide, and even today the High Representative of the international community plays a key role in BiH", the letter stated.

The signatories of this letter are: Esad Bajtal, Hazim Bašić, Edin Batlak, Esad Boškailo, Dragan Bursać, Jasna Čaušević, Milan Dunović, Esad Duraković, Rešid Hafizović, Husnija Kamberović, Ademir Kenović, Adil Kulenović, , Miro Lazović,
Jasmin Mujanović, Dino Mustafić, Emir Nuhanović, Vahidin Preljević, Emir Ramić, Lada Sadiković, Abdulah Sidran, Aiša Telalović, Azra Zornić.