Why Čović 'fell silent' after the start of negotiations and support for genocide denial

President of HDZ BiH Dragan Čović suddenly fell silent on social media, and this is especially noticeable on Twitter where his last post was on November 27.

Since Monday, November 29, when talks between political parties and the US envoy for electoral reform Matthew Palmer and the director at the European External Action Service Angelina Eichhorst began, Čović suddenly has nothing to say. For three days now, he has avoided addressing the media, has not posted on social media, especially after the shameful vote at the session of the House of Peoples of the BiH Parliamentary Assembly when Čović and two other delegates from HDZ supported the conclusion of the Serb Club to annul the decision of former High Representative Valentin Inzko on enacting the Law on Prohibition of Genocide Denial, i.e., amendments to the Criminal Code of BiH.

Although some political partners and even friends tried to justify Čović's uncivilized act, and then quickly changed their tune due to negative reactions, Čović will sooner or later have to explain to the public why HDZ BiH sided with the deniers of the Srebrenica genocide.

Čović was also sharply criticized by media in neighboring Croatia, which ask whether this stance is also that of Prime Minister Andrej Plenković and President Zoran Milanović.

Besides Čović, Marina Pendeš and Lidija Bradara voted for the shameful conclusion, while Bariša Čolak was absent.

In the ongoing talks with Palmer and Eichhorst, Čović does not want to deviate from proposals that lead to further ethnic division of the country. Although he invokes the "legitimate representation" mentioned in the agreement signed in Mostar on June 17, 2020, both Čović and other participants in the talks should be reminded that all deadlines for implementing that agreement have expired.

However, as long as Čović has political like-minded people who consider the demand for "legitimate representation" justified and that the value of a Croat's vote is not the same in every inch of BiH, it will be difficult to reach a democratic and civilized agreement on amendments to the Election Law and limited constitutional changes.

(A.V.)