State Minister's Big Mistakes: Forto Wants to Go to Brussels, Even If Bosnia Ceases to Exist

Written for NAP: Enver Išerić, Doctor of Law and member of NES BiH

Edin Forto, Minister of Transport and Communications of Bosnia and Herzegovina, held a press conference and appeared on the Klix portal. He was asked if he was angry about the actions of the President of Republika Srpska, Milorad Dodik, and he replied that it was difficult to make him angry and that "everyone has their own policy and everyone should answer for themselves. Let these internal matters be, but let's fulfill those for Brussels." Besides that, he said that everyone, some more, some less, is responsible for the progress on the EU path.

From this answer, only one conclusion can be drawn: let it be, never mind what Dodik is doing, let's go to Brussels, even if Bosnia ceases to exist.

Mr. Forto should know that we must and should first resolve, as he says, "these internal matters," and only then head towards Brussels. It cannot be otherwise. And even if it could, Brussels does not interest me more than Bosnia and Herzegovina. A thousand Brisels are useless if you let Dodik destroy the state.

And the man (Dodik) at the forum in Banja Luka "Endangered Serbdom - A Decisive Response" says: "It would be better for Muslims to stay home. Džaja knows (Vlado Džajić). When you were with Mladić, what did you ask him?", said Dodik, who had previously spoken about conflicts, including with NATO. They are consulting with a convicted genocidaire, and he is saying that we – Muslims – should stay home when they declare independence.

And for such things, Forto says "let it be." If you play with the state, you will see where we will be and where we will remain.

What happened to the optimism of the "fastest established government that adopted the budget for 2023 on time?"

When asked if he supports the OHR's Election Law and Dodik's criticism, Forto says it's not a question for him. It would be good if Forto told us who it is a question for? Is it for the local community or for the state minister? Forto should know that all issues concerning this state are for all elected officials.

Forto further states: "We don't have to support the USA, they have their own policy, we have to support ourselves and find a common interest with them. Without the support of the USA, we can forget it, we have to work with them".

And here, the state minister made a big mistake. We do have "something to support the USA." And everything the USA has done for Bosnia and Herzegovina so far, we must and should support, because it is beneficial for the state. They stopped the war and prevented the continuation of genocide, helped build state institutions, helped rebuild the country, imposed sanctions on those who destroy the Dayton Peace Agreement (black list). And finally, they teach us what is harmful to our country and warn us not to adopt it (Law on the Constitutional Court, Election Law, Law on the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina...).

Forto probably prefers to support Dodik, who is destroying the legal system. You don't have to support those who are destroying the constitutional order and want to introduce apartheid in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and you should and must support our friends and their actions, even if those actions are directed against your dear coalition partners with whom you announced "revolutionary changes." And none of that happened. A greater and unprecedented crisis occurred. The state is endangered like never before.

Besides, it would be good for the ruling structures to seriously address the issue of elected officials who are on the US blacklists.

So, gentlemen, is it normal for members of the Presidency of the state, the Speaker of the state Parliament, ministers, entity prime ministers, and presidents of entity parliaments to be unable to receive salaries for their work because they are on the US blacklist? And instead of immediately removing these individuals from their positions, thereby supporting the USA, the parliamentarians announce collecting money for their salaries, in order to defy the USA and the sanctions imposed by the USA. Where and in what world do you live?