Professor Fočo for NAP: Parliaments and parties in BiH have become appendages of party leaders

The latest agreement reached over the weekend by the leaders of SDA and SNSD, Bakir Izetbegović and Milorad Dodik, concerning the IMF and the Coordination Mechanism, has caused a stir in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Croatian political parties criticised the manner in which Izetbegović and Dodik reached the agreement. They claim it is detrimental to the Croatian people, Patria reports.

On the other hand, citizens on social media also show that they do not expect much from the latest agreement between the two leaders. Similar agreements have been made before, but none of them brought prosperity to BiH. Through their comments on social media, citizens show that the authorities in BiH are losing credibility.

- In BiH, cafes/restaurants are the heart of democracy, so you know which organ the parliament is!!! – wrote psychologist and political analyst Srđan Puhalo on his Twitter profile.

- When Serbs and Bosniaks agree, then a Croat must be put in a shoe to chafe!!! – Puhalo jokes further.

Sociologist and professor at the University of Sarajevo, Salih Fočo, also believes that politicians in BiH have lost credibility.

- Given the lack of trust, the excessive promises they make, citizens can no longer seriously accept or expect anything from politicians. It is natural that we now have great reservations about every agreement. Especially since those agreements are very quickly neutralised, and everything remains the same as before – says Professor Fočo in an interview with the Patria news agency.

- Also, political leaders have long taken over the competencies of other bodies. Parliament is an appendage of political leaders. Parties are one-person parties... Essentially, there is no institutional system that would truly take care of the state.

There is also, Professor Fočo further explains, the conduct of serious political negotiations in venues that are not suitable for that, such as cafes. And all this is supported by representatives of the international community. For Fočo, even some representatives of the international community in BiH have lost credibility, Patria reports.