Reality as a 'cuckoo's egg' of foreigners for the prize of criminals and genocide deniers in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Written by: Ernad Metaj

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Reality has been imposed by international negotiators as an important factor in determining the future fate of Bosnia and Herzegovina during negotiations on the Election Law and constitutional reforms. This was brought to the public by Zlatan Begić, a DF representative in the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina, who attended negotiations between his party's representatives and diplomats from the US and the EU.

This is a hypocritical attempt to pressure political forces that resist further division of Bosnia and Herzegovina and segregation of citizens, which would be inevitable if HDZ's demands for special electoral units are met as a prelude to the final definition of a third entity in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The secessionism of Milorad Dodik is also being abused as a reality in negotiations, used as a means of pressure to accept new discriminations in the electoral system. The message to Bakir Izetbegović, "Your father created Bosnia and Herzegovina. Do not allow yourself to be blamed for its collapse," is an open threat, but also a departure from the official positions of the US and the EU, which have never questioned the integrity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

If international negotiators do not use such blackmail as an expression of personal efforts to reach some kind of solution, then it could be concluded that the EU and the US have effectively capitulated to Russia, which, through Dodik, implements its policies in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Balkans. We want to believe that reality is different from what is demonstrated by the Special Envoy for Electoral Reform of the United States of America, Matthew Palmer, and the Director at the European External Action Service, Angelina Eichhorst. They are contradicted by the Brussels talks between SDP representatives Vojin Mijatović and Saša Magazinović and European parliamentarians from the SPD. In those talks, it was emphasized that everyone in the EU is clear that Milorad Dodik is the biggest problem of the crisis in Bosnia and Herzegovina. One of the solutions mentioned was ensuring fair and free elections, with which, at least declaratively, all actors in the negotiations in Bosnia and Herzegovina agree.

If international negotiators insist on reality, then it is the obligation of all political actors who care about the integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina to resist pressures and not agree to replace existing discriminations with new ones. A firm stance against further segregation would also become a reality that must be respected. Anything below that would be a capitulation of the state, an acceptance that relations in Bosnia and Herzegovina are regulated based on the results of genocide, ethnic cleansing, and non-compliance with the Constitution and laws of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Reality would be a reward for genocide deniers and the final realization of war goals not achieved. Accepting this also means accepting the division of Bosnia and Herzegovina. An election law according to HDZ's wishes would strengthen the mechanisms of blockades in Bosnia and Herzegovina, so reality would again be an argument on the side of those who deny and destroy Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Reality also includes the judgments of the European Court of Human Rights, and these should be insisted upon, especially the Zornić judgment, which international negotiators are currently trying to ignore. It is also true that international negotiators avoid talks with the Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Željko Komšić, because he persistently returns them to the need to respect democratic and civilizational values established by international agreements and court rulings. Every meeting with Komšić is also a reminder of the judgment on his appeal to the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which established discrimination in the election of the president and vice-presidents of both entities.

Reality on the ground is important, but it is not the key factor for the final results of the negotiations. This is also reminded by the fact that, towards the end of the war, international representatives stopped the advance of the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina through threats and pressures, seeking solutions that were not a reflection of reality. This time, representatives of the international community must not absolve themselves of their own responsibility for peace and stability in the Balkans. They created Milorad Dodik and should now deal with him. The fruit of their policy is also ethno-nationalist policies that have proven incapable of building peace and a better life for all citizens. At a time when a significant part of the EU understands what the essential problem is, it would be irresponsible and cowardly to succumb to pressures that undermine the values of the EU. It would also be a capitulation to the policies of neighboring countries that have never renounced their aspirations towards Bosnia and Herzegovina and that, through their 'henchmen,' have been exploiting the resources of our country for their own benefit for years.