Parties Still Haven't Revealed All Their Cards: Promises and Mutual Attacks Dominate, But the People Decide

By: A. Vrabac

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Political parties and candidates in the upcoming General Elections have 15 days of campaign left until the election silence, which begins on October 1st at 7 AM and lasts until the polling stations close at 7 PM on October 2nd.

In the first half of the election campaign, we saw numerous activities by parties and candidates, such as rallies and gatherings, but no public debates, especially not among candidates for the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Viewers were thus deprived of a confrontation of views and opinions of those who would be responsible for conducting defense and foreign policy, which is the jurisdiction of the Presidency of BiH, for the next four years.

What marked the first half of the campaign was the statement by HDZ BiH candidate for the BiH Presidency, Borjana Krišto, who on Tuesday in Jajce referred to the state she wants to represent as a "state community of constituent peoples." With that statement, she began to advocate the views of SNSD and Milorad Dodik and Željka Cvijanović as candidates for the BiH Presidency. Imagine if, in the three-member Presidency of BiH, there were two members who claim that BiH does not exist as an internationally recognized state with its territory and borders, and population, but rather that it is "composed of entities" or a "state community of constituent peoples.".

The first part of the campaign was also marked by speeches by party leaders and candidates at rallies across BiH, in which they announce victories, attack the current government, and promise a better government once others take over, promising an increase in living standards, salaries, pensions, and social benefits. Simply put, everything will be better when "the others come" or "those in power remain." While some are ready to offer an "olive branch to try again," others are already vowing not to form a coalition with them under any circumstances.

Political opponents attack each other; some are against everyone, while others are united against the government and offer themselves as a new solution.

In addition to being forced to look at more or less smiling faces surrounding us on billboards, posters, bus stops, and public transport this month, marketing experts believe that no party has offered a sufficiently creative solution and that more or less everything has been seen in previous campaigns.

When it comes to the topics with which leaders and candidates try to convince us why we should choose them, they are mostly different forms of struggle – the fight for the state of BiH, the fight for equal rights for all citizens, the fight against corruption, the fight for one entity, which dominates the campaigns of parties from RS, except for the Movement for the State, which consists of a bloc of parties that are more or less in power in the FBiH and at the state level. However, the biggest fight will be for every vote.

The battle will also be fought for the Federal Parliament, and thus for the formation of the FBiH Government. While some are sure they are winning and will remain where they are, others are announcing their victory and new coalitions.

Although the pre-election campaign is proceeding relatively calmly, and even boring at times, things may become more serious in the second part, and parties may start with an increasingly aggressive campaign.

The Central Election Commission (CIK) called on all political parties on Wednesday to refrain from using children in the campaign.

"Political entities should not invite children to political rallies and other mass gatherings, and it is primarily the responsibility of parents not to take children to such gatherings and to protect them from unnecessary exposure. The best interests of the child should be of primary importance in society," stated the CIK.

What is inherent to all parties and candidates is that during these 30 days, they appeal to the people who will decide on October 2nd where Bosnia and Herzegovina is heading. However, this will require the highest possible turnout to truly see the will of the voters, not just the counters.