Schmidt should go, and the new High Representative must be his polar opposite

(Patria) - Our country still needs the Office of the High Representative (OHR) and there is no doubt about that, says former diplomat and professor Enver Halilović in an interview with the Patria News Agency (NAP).

Halilović commented on the reporting by the portal Istraga.ba that part of the international community has begun negotiations regarding the removal of Christian Schmidt from the position of High Representative for BiH. If this plan, which the US is also involved in devising, were to be realized, Schmidt should leave by the end of this year.

/qpost/411146

NEGOTIATIONS HAVE BEGUN Schmidt should leave by the end of the year: Croatia insists that the OHR change the Election Law in favor of HDZ

Part of the international community has begun negotiations regarding the removal of Christian Schmidt from the position of High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina, Istraga.ba has learned from multiple diplomatic sources. If the plan, in the devising of which the United States is involved,

Our interlocutor believes that Schmidt's departure would be highly desirable and would represent a historic turning point, both for Bosnia and Herzegovina and for the international community, especially for Germany and the European Union.

- At the same time, I hope that this will not mean the closure of the OHR, given all that its political and social task in BiH should be in terms of transforming its Dayton/ethnic order into a civic one on its path to the European Union - emphasizes Halilović.

Schmidt's departure, he adds, should be the ultimate goal of the international community, considering that with his actions so far in Bosnia and Herzegovina, he has disgraced both himself and the country in every respect.

- I am not only referring here to the amendment of the Election Law on election day itself, but also to all other activities he has undertaken in Bosnia and Herzegovina. And especially the interference and inappropriate influence on the European Court of Human Rights in refuting, or rather challenging, the ruling "Slaven Kovačević v. Bosnia and Herzegovina" - says Halilović.

He points out that Schmidt's successor, about whom certain discussions are also underway in international circles, should be his polar opposite.

- He should not only consider the interests of neighboring countries in Bosnia and Herzegovina, primarily Croatia and Serbia, thereby becoming primarily the High Representative of those countries, but should be the High Representative of the United Nations in BiH and primarily consider its interests and the building of its new constitutional order necessary for accession to the European Union.

Therefore, this person would first have to fix everything that this one (Schmidt, op.a.) has broken and prevent the strengthening of entities at the expense of the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

And he would especially have to distance himself from the immense damage that Schmidt has caused to Bosnia and Herzegovina by engaging in the European Court of Human Rights in the "Kovačević" case - underlines Halilović.

And a third thing, adds the professor - it would be high time to adopt the Law on State Property of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Halilović believes that relocating the OHR from Sarajevo to Geneva, about which discussions are also underway in the international community, would be catastrophic.

- I think it is absolutely senseless for any OHR to exist outside of Bosnia and Herzegovina. That would completely devalue the meaning of its existence and the task it has in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

- No one needs a High Representative who will hide anywhere in the world from the political scene of Bosnia and Herzegovina into a mouse hole - assesses Halilović.

He is also of the opinion that it is not excluded that Schmidt, before his possible departure, at the urging of official Zagreb, as well as the leader of HDZ BiH, Dragan Čović, imposes provisions of the BiH Election Law that would enable that party to always elect its member of the BiH Presidency.

- One can expect all the worst from that man. There is nothing that cannot fit under his hat. It is expected that he will continue to be used to fulfill, primarily the interests of Croatia, but also Serbia against Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as to side with Serb and Croat political projects and leaders within Bosnia and Herzegovina itself - says Professor Halilović.

He reiterated once again that Bosnia and Herzegovina certainly still needs the OHR, given that its transformation into a sustainable, independent, and sovereign state has not yet been ensured.

- Transitional justice processes have not been completed, especially not in a way that enables the transformation of BiH into a country of European values and European political views.

Therefore, Bosnia and Herzegovina needs a High Representative, at least for some time longer - as long as its security is objectively threatened from the outside. And the authority that the High Representative or the OHR have in the international community can play a significant role in this - notes Halilović.

According to him, Schmidt's successor would have the task of completing the aforementioned unfinished processes in Bosnia and Herzegovina, not to delay them and to wait again for some new High Representative to start seriously dealing with his job in BiH.

- Bosnia and Herzegovina should simply be put on normal, European constitutional, political tracks and allowed to develop independently and sovereignly. To be clear, I am not advocating for, nor do I see the need for the OHR to exist for a long time, but it is certainly necessary as long as it has not completed the mission it is tasked with - says Halilović.

Finally, he adds that it is particularly important for Bosnia and Herzegovina from a security perspective to become a member of the NATO alliance and thus secure a "security umbrella" for itself.

- It is also necessary to change the Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina in a way that enables the functioning of its government bodies. That would be the key to preventing all previous blackmail by so-called ethnic and especially entity vetoes in BiH government bodies - concludes Halilović in an interview with NAP.

(D.K.)