WITH A NOTE: Palmer and Eichhorst meeting in the PABiH closed to the public, pressure on SDP and DF continues!

(Patria) - Members of the Interdepartmental Working Group for amending the election legislation of BiH of the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina will talk tomorrow (Thursday, 27 January 2022) with the Director for the Western Balkans, Turkey and the United Kingdom at the European External Action Service (EEAS) Angelina Eichhorst and the US Special Envoy for Election Reform Matthew Palmer.

Two announcements for this event arrived from the PABiH, the second one with a bolded notice stating that the meeting in the Parliamentary Assembly of BiH scheduled for tomorrow is not open to the media.

The intention of the participants in the negotiations, marked as key, and their flight from the public is completely clear, which is also reflected in the fact that international officials are traveling to negotiations in Neum, far from the institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

However, avoiding the media in Sarajevo is not unknown to the local public. There is also increasing pressure on the SDP and DF, who have remained steadfast in their initial positions from last month that they will not negotiate until the separatist policy of Milorad Dodik is stopped, and until the work of BiH institutions is unblocked.

At this moment, it is problematic that the talks are being moved out of Sarajevo and away from official institutions, primarily the Parliamentary Assembly of BiH, where any agreement should be formalized by a vote in the BiH Parliament. A simple majority is sufficient for amendments to the Election Law, but a two-thirds majority of delegates is needed for amendments to the BiH Constitution.

In this current case, when negotiations are being held on the BiH Election Law and the BiH Constitution, which concern all citizens of BiH, there is no reason for talks to be conducted secretly and in private hotels, bypassing official institutions. All presidents of parliamentary parties, who will ultimately answer to the citizens of BiH for their actions, should be aware of this.

Excuses about fleeing media pressure, public pressure, or any other type of pressure cannot justify such a request from foreigners. The bill for any eventual decisions that could harm the state will be paid by those who agree to this manner of talks, or any agreements detrimental to Bosnia and Herzegovina.

With full respect for the goodwill of international mediators, putting party presidents in a position to choose between the side of citizens or potentially further complicating the situation in BiH, where the situation remains extremely difficult!

(A. Čorbo-Zećo)