Terzić: Bosnians and Herzegovinians failed the test with Kruščica, what's next

Residents of Kruščica near Vitez today interrupted the construction of mini hydropower plants, after work began yesterday, writes Patria.

Besides the fact that the ombudsmen have officially launched proceedings due to the brutality of the police and the excessive use of force against women who blocked the road with machinery, no other organization is making a statement.

- The ignorance of the authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina regarding what has been happening in Kruščica near Vitez for days and weeks is incredible and unacceptable. How is it possible that the authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina have been ignoring the residents of Kruščica near Vitez for a month and leaving them to themselves?! Dramatic scenes have been coming from Kruščica near Vitez these days. The agony of the local residents continues. It is high time that, first and foremost, officials of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, including the president and vice-presidents, the federal prime minister and relevant ministers, as well as the leaders of both houses of the FBiH Parliament, and the representatives themselves, whose votes they sought and ultimately received, appear before the citizens of Kruščica – says Almir Terzić, analyst and journalist.

The behavior of the officials of the Central Bosnia Canton, the executive and legislative authorities, as well as the municipal authorities in Vitez, is extremely incorrect, Terzić notes.

- Is it possible that we have reached a stage where officials no longer want to talk to citizens?! Representatives of non-governmental organizations, civil society, and civic activists have also shown an extremely incorrect attitude towards the situation in Kruščica near Vitez. It is commendable that the Institution of Ombudsmen for Human Rights in BiH and the Agency for Gender Equality of BiH reacted to the events, opening cases regarding the past events in Kruščica near Vitez. But, that is not enough. Citizens need to be assured, as they have the right to talk to someone. Because Kruščica near Vitez is currently topical in BiH. Will everyone remain silent if Kruščica happens again somewhere else in BiH soon?! Bosnians and Herzegovinians failed the test with the example of Kruščica – adds Terzić.

At least ten women from this village, including pregnant women, were injured after members of the special police of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Central Bosnia Canton forcibly removed them from the protest.

Residents of Kruščica fear that they will be left without drinking water and their natural pearl due to the construction of the mini hydropower plant. The construction of the mini hydropower plant will also endanger the water supply of Zenica.

Vijesti.ba portal previously reported that there are serious indications that the director of the Development Bank of FBiH, Salko Selman, is behind the construction of mini hydropower plants on the Kruščica river.

The director of the Sarajevo company Higracon, which is building these mini hydropower plants on Kruščica, is Armin Hadžialić. Hadžialić is, writes the Vijesti.ba portal, citing a highly informed source, the brother of Sabahudin Hadžialić, who was Selman's advisor when Selman was the Prime Minister of the Central Bosnia Canton.

Selman's family already has experience with mini hydropower plants. The name of the director of the Development Bank, Selman, has already been linked to illegal activities in the media.

Residents previously told Patria that they tried to stop the destruction of the river, but that special forces broke up the peaceful protests, and that the number of special forces who came to remove the peaceful residents indicates that the highest political leadership of the SDA is behind the entire project.

Four residents of Kruščica were fined a total of 1,200 KM for opposing the construction of mini hydropower plants, writes Patria.