Electoral political farces begin: Citizens lose the most

By Amra Varatanović

While names of candidates for the President of Republika Srpska and the BiH Presidency are increasingly heard from the BiH entity of Republika Srpska, political leaders and parties in the FBiH are still "testing the waters".

Milorad Dodik, Mladen Ivanić, Mirko Šarović, Mićo Mićić, Vukota Govedarica are the names most frequently heard for these two positions.

The race for the BiH Presidency will also be interesting from the perspective of which candidate the Party of Democratic Action will nominate, given that Bakir Izetbegović can no longer run for that position (his second consecutive term is expiring). Izetbegović himself mentioned several names, and it is most likely that three to four candidates will compete for the favor of the party (or rather, cantonal committees that nominate candidates).

Denis Zvizdić, the current state prime minister and SDA vice-president, is first in line, and has even said it would be an honor to accept the candidacy. Besides Zvizdić, the names of Šefik Džaferović, SDA vice-president and long-time parliamentarian, as well as the wife of SDA president, Sebija Izetbegović, are also heard. Although Izetbegović himself mentioned some other names, it is clear that SDA already has starting candidates. Whether the party or an individual will decide will be shown very soon.

The Social Democratic Party of BiH has not yet clearly defined its candidates. Although there are speculations that they will have candidates for all three positions in the BiH Presidency, this idea is losing momentum every day. It is more likely that SDP BiH will strengthen its voter base in RS and its positions within government bodies, rather than entering into an adventure with three candidates for the BiH Presidency. The most frequently mentioned name for the presidential candidate from SDP BiH is Denis Bećirović, state representative and party vice-president.

The Democratic Front, together with SDP BiH, is trying to unite the "left-wing ranks", and the premature announcement of Željko Komšić's candidacy, according to analysts, has slowed down the cooperation between the two parties. Komšić stated a few days later that he might even withdraw his candidacy if the BiH Constitution is amended or if the BiH Parliament elects one president. He also presented his views to representatives of the international community, but the possibility of such a scenario is nil.

The Alliance for a Better Future should offer Fahrudin Radončić for the third time, although the SBB president himself said, "if SDA nominates a woman, SBB will also offer an equal rival.".

Dragan Čović, the leader of HDZ BiH, also wants another term in the BiH Presidency, and Komšić's candidacy bothers him the most. He announced that in that case, he would further "mobilize the Croatian voter base".

What is certain, and what representatives of the international community and European officials are warning about, is that BiH, its leaders, and its citizens have no more time to waste. Due to political games, necessary reforms are on hold, and this is most felt by the citizens who, at least for now, have decided to stay in BiH.

It is certain that the coming months will be marked by increasingly open inter-party struggles, even though BiH has an extremely important period ahead. The submission of the European Commission's Questionnaire, on which BiH's candidate status will depend. However, the political farces began in Brussels and continued in Sarajevo.

Be that as it may, EC leader Jean-Claude Juncker will receive the Questionnaire in Sarajevo on February 28.