Mostar Declaration Adopted

(Patria) - Organized by the Association of Independent Intellectuals Krug 99 – Forum Neretva, a formal session was held in Mostar where the Mostar Declaration on democratic development and the European future of Bosnia and Herzegovina was adopted and signed.

In addition to members of Krug 99 – Neretva Branch and citizens, members of the Youth Forum and members of the Presidency of Krug 99 from Sarajevo also participated in the session.

- As early as 1941, the Mostar ulema raised its voice with the Mostar Resolution against the persecution of Serbs and Jews by the Independent State of Croatia (NDH). With the Mostar Declaration, Krug 99 wishes to point out the fiercest attacks on the sovereignty and integrity of our country since 1995, which is an attempt to erase Bosnia and Herzegovina from the world map, as well as all its citizens and peoples, regardless of the fact that the destroyers of the state hide behind their peoples. So-called pro-Bosnian politicians, with honorable exceptions, are largely silently and clumsily observing the dismantling of the state. The greatest responsibility for the future of the country lies with them and the citizens, stated, among other things, the president of the Neretva Branch of Krug 99, Edin Batlak.

For 33 years, Krug 99 has been persistently advocating for a state of completely equal citizens without any exceptions or privileges for anyone.

- We call on all politicians in Bosnia and Herzegovina, without exception, to turn to Bosnia and Herzegovina without hesitation for the good of all citizens, and to reject the seductive calls from neighboring countries, Batlak conveyed.

The president of Krug 99, Adil Kulenović, pointed out the symbolism of adopting the Mostar Declaration on the day of the referendum for the country's independence, and on the eve of the great holiday, BiH Independence Day.

- Today's Declaration is a response both to the times then, and the circumstances then in terms of preserving Bosnia and Herzegovina as a sovereign, democratic state, and in the context of the present time when it is evident that a concept that was never passed in democratic elections wants to be imposed as a permanent state. In that sense, our response is through the Mostar Declaration. We hope it will have a wider resonance than our gathering today, Kulenović stated.

A guest at the ceremony, former president of the Assembly of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Miro Lazović, said that the future of Bosnia and Herzegovina is not in question, despite the fact that there are still forces working on its dismantling today.

- Bosnia and Herzegovina will build its path as a state of full human rights and freedoms throughout its territory. This is an inevitable process that, I believe, will accelerate, given the European integration that Bosnia and Herzegovina is undergoing. For thirty years, we have been hostages of ethnic policies that keep us in ethnic cages, Lazović stated.

The Mostar Declaration is a consequence of resolving the Dayton problems in Bosnia and Herzegovina, stated Azra Zornić.

- We have been fighting them for thirty years. The Mostar Declaration says: "Enough apartheid, enough segregation, enough divisions, enough policies that benefit groups, not citizens". Sovereignty belongs to the state and every citizen. Every citizen must have the right to elect and be elected to any political office, regardless of how they declare themselves, she stated.

Professor Senadin Lavić also spoke about the "tyranny of the NDH to which Serbs and Jews of Mostar were exposed in 1941". He also said that the Declaration adopted today is in the spirit of the events of 1941.

- The Mostar Declaration is in line with fighting for a society and community of equal people, regardless of ethnic origin and religious affiliation. In its positions, it expresses a commitment to a multi-ethnic, pluralistic society, and Bosnia and Herzegovina as a sovereign, independent state. The fact that we have problems with Nazism and Fascism attacking Bosnia and Herzegovina is not a sign that we are scared, nor is it a sign that we do not know what we want. The Declaration clearly expresses the stance that we want a free, European, and democratic state of Bosnia and Herzegovina that will protect all its citizens, Lavić stated.

The Mostar Declaration consists of introductory preambles and resolutions:

1. The reform of the Constitution and election legislation of Bosnia and Herzegovina must lead to the establishment of a society of equal citizens, in accordance with the European Convention on Human Rights and the standards of the Council of Europe.

2. The ethnicization of political rights and state institutions is contrary to the fundamental principles of democratic legitimacy, political equality, and individual rights, and destabilizes the state in the long term. Elected representatives have an obligation to act in the interest of all citizens, and not exclusively of one ethno-religious or political-party group, as is predominantly the case today.

3. Bosnia and Herzegovina cannot be permanently organized as a system of ethnic division of political power, but as a democratic state in which all citizens are equal before the law and have equal political rights, including the right to participate in the election of all state officials whose decisions directly affect their lives and rights.

4. Every citizen of Bosnia and Herzegovina must have the right to be elected and to elect every member of the BiH Presidency, because the decisions of each member have equal constitutional and legal force and produce direct consequences for all citizens, regardless of their ethnic, religious, or any other affiliation. The exclusion of citizens who do not declare themselves as members of the so-called "constituent" peoples represents discrimination, which has been unequivocally confirmed by the judgments of the European Court of Human Rights.

5. The implementation of the judgments of the European Court of Human Rights and the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina is not a political issue, but represents a constitutional and international legal obligation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and a key condition for its democratic and European path. Their non-implementation represents anti-constitutional action and a form of "silent" coup d'état.

6. Members of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, in accordance with the Constitution, are not ethnic representatives, but elected state officials responsible to all citizens. Considering the realistic timeframes, the general elections in 2026 should be held according to the current legislation, with a clear commitment to ensure the election of one President of Bosnia and Herzegovina for the entire territory of the state by the 2030 elections.

7. Citizens elect political representatives in elections according to their own beliefs. The questionable claim that a citizen voting for a candidate from another ethnic group is "electing a member of the Presidency for another people" is a malicious and unconstitutional interpretation of democratic electoral law.

8. Anti-Bosnian and anti-European policies, with the support of neighboring hegemonic projects convicted of war crimes, joint criminal enterprises, and genocide, pose a direct threat to the survival of Bosnia and Herzegovina and must be stopped by clear and decisive state-building policies.

9. We strongly condemn the denial of judgments for genocide and war crimes, as well as attempts to reaffirm convicted policies of secession, para-states, and ethnic territorialization through federalization or consociational arrangements, which are euphemisms for further disintegration and collapse of the state.

10. For all citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina to enjoy peace and prosperity in their homeland, it is necessary for all political structures to primarily turn to the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina, respecting the Bosnian-Herzegovinian historical experience in which exclusive "take it or leave it" or "either-or" stances cannot produce anything good or bring any progress, while an inclusive "both-and" approach can.

With this Declaration, we confirm our full commitment to a democratic, legally regulated, and European Bosnia and Herzegovina, a state of equal citizens and a common future.