War Leaders in Power: Lustration - A Way to Remove the Past from Politics

In Bosnia and Herzegovina, there are too many war leaders, those who played prominent roles in the war and today speak about democracy and swear by the rule of law and human rights, writes the Patria agency.

Unfortunately, despite obvious evidence, the prosecutor's offices do not react, nor do the institutions for the protection of this state, so the international community would have to react, impose a Law on Lustration, and remove from politics those with a dirty war past.  

After World War II, Germany underwent denazification, Italy defascization, as forms of lustration. In BiH, they cynically speak of lustration as "deratization." Lustration in Bosnia and Herzegovina has been absent when it comes to collaborators of intelligence services. Those who were once collaborators of former communist secret services, such as UDBA or KOS, mostly, by some secret logic, continued as war leaders. These are individuals who did not have to be directly involved in crime in politics, but were part of a political system that led to mass executions, concentration camps, and ethnic cleansing. "Deratization" is being imposed as necessary in BiH.            

Recently published transcripts of the 50th wartime session of the National Assembly of the RS, held on April 16, 1995, in Sanski Most, showed Milorad Dodik in certain wartime circumstances. He spoke at that session and agreed with General Ratko Mladić regarding his efforts to create better conditions for the Army of Republika Srpska to successfully fight on the Bihać battlefield.

- With due respect to Mr. Vještica (Miroslav Vještica, war leader of Bosanska Krupa), I believe that his demands to capture Tuzla, Sarajevo, and other major cities, as well as Bihać, are now unrealistic and should be rejected. We should have captured these cities at the beginning of the war; we failed then, and now these demands are unrealistic. In line with our conclusion on the military situation, I must emphasize that we must finalize our task, which involves resolving the military situation in Cazinska Krajina. Directly or indirectly destroy the Fifth Corps so that we no longer have a strong enemy on the banks of the Una who could destabilize us - Dodik said then.  

Current member of the Presidency of BiH from the Croatian people and leader of HDZ BiH Dragan Čović, as general director of the company Soko Mostar, in June 1993, sent a request to Josip Praljak, then deputy warden of the Heliodrom camp, to "enable the release of ten prisoners for the needs of the Soko Mostar Aviation Industry, with the aim of performing certain tasks."  

The fact that Čović was at the head of Soko at that time sufficiently indicates that in the then so-called HZ HB, he was not just a mere observer, but high-ranking in the hierarchy. He remained at the head of Soko for several more years, and his influence was not diminished even after he left the director's chair. International observers and humanitarian organizations on several occasions did not have access to complete information. For example, on May 18, 1993, members of international organizations who visited the camp were not allowed to investigate all the rooms where prisoners were held.

Footage is available to the public showing how MP in the National Assembly of the RS Nenad Stevandić violently breaks into the homes of Bosniak civilians in Kotor Varoš and beats them in their houses or on the street. All this has been known for more than two years, but the prosecutor's offices remain silent.  

For now, there is no law that would prevent war criminals from running in elections. Fikret Abdić, after serving his prison sentence, has again taken up a position, now as mayor of Velika Kladuša.  

This is one of many cases where the past has won elections. Incidentally, elections are won by inciting fear and hatred.  

Let's say that state parliamentarian Šefik Džaferović was also suspected of being a witness to the liquidation of a Serb near Vozuća, and there were calls for his immunity to be lifted and for him to be removed from the Parliament of BiH. Džaferović demanded evidence in that case and claimed he was innocent.  

Dodik, Čović, and Abdić are proof that high-ranking wartime cadres are still being pushed forward in BiH, who, after wartime activities, have been given free rein to openly work against BiH.  

Compromising details of some political leaders will probably continue to be revealed, regardless of nation or military formation. The problem lies in the work of the prosecutor's offices, which must uncover such misdeeds, as well as any kind of compromise.  

The fact is that all policies have avoided and continue to avoid adopting a state Law on Lustration. Most current political leaders were deeply involved in former secret services. A Law on Lustration would today also encompass evidence of involvement in the recent war against Bosnia and Herzegovina, and it would be key for peace and a normal future for our country.

It is necessary to create a safe, modern, and democratic Bosnia and Herzegovina. Today, this is perhaps the only way to remove the past from the political life of Bosnia and Herzegovina.