SDP BiH Presidency: NATO Issue Reduced to Cheap Populism

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - The key state issue of Euro-Atlantic integration was raised at the session of the Presidency of the Social Democratic Party of BiH, following Bakir Izetbegović's statement that the NATO path is impossible without the consent of all, namely SNSD and Milorad Dodik.

"Therefore, SDP asks the coalition triangle DF, SBB, and SDA, and especially the Chairman of the Presidency Željko Komšić, how they respond to the claims of the captain of the Bosniak national team? Does this mean that DF knowingly misled the public by claiming that NATO is already on the Drina? The Presidency of SDP BiH believes that it is devastating that such an important state issue has turned out to be cheap populism, and the NATO path is miles away."

The recent positions of Dragan Čović on the amendments to the Election Law were condemned, and SDP BiH considers them absolutely unacceptable. It is evident that Dragan Čović's positions on this issue have not changed since 2014 and the agreement with SDA. 

"Nobody believes the unconvincing justifications of HDZ and SDA, that they want to call each other out, because it is more than clear that they will never harm each other. It is evident that long-term partners HDZ and SDA are waiting for a favorable moment to announce that they have found common ground on the issue of the Election Law. We, in SDP, have no doubt that through their obedient media, both sides will create a spectacle that they have won and deceived the other, as was the case with the story about the ANP and the claim that the Council of Ministers will not be formed without the Federal government. Unfortunately, BiH citizens will once again be left empty-handed in all of this.

The recent statements of members of the Federal government, such as the announcement of miner layoffs and the increase in electricity prices for households, further convince us in SDP that Fadil Novalić and his ministers should have been a thing of the past long ago. It is evident that the FBiH Government wants to save struggling mines through the citizens' backs, into which no funds have been invested for a long time and which depend on themselves. When you add to this the fact that there are fewer and fewer miners in the mines, and more and more employed in administration, it is clear why there is talk again about increasing the price of electricity. The fact that the formation of government at the federal level will not happen without the HDZ's approval means that citizens are condemned to endure the most incompetent government in the history of the Federation of BiH for some time longer," stated SDP BiH.

Yesterday's dismissal of the Government of Sarajevo Canton, which was assessed by many relevant institutions and individuals as the best government in post-war BiH, has certainly caused unrest among a large part of the residents of Sarajevo Canton.

"The Presidency of SDP BiH confirms that SDP is proud of the results of the work of the KS Government, and of what SDP ministers Malika Garibija, Adnan Šteta, and Damir Filipović have done. SDP deputies will be fierce opposition to all moves by the shaky coalition that go against the interests of the citizens. It was stated that SDP will propose to its partners from the 'four' to form a shadow government, which will monitor the implementation of the initiated 300 measures of the dismissed Government of Sarajevo Canton."

The Presidency condemned the recent nationalist outbursts in a primary school in Srebrenica, which further damaged the already fragile relations among the local population and introduced unrest into the families of returnees in this part of Bosnia and Herzegovina.