Članak

MMF loan was meant to be 'pocket money' for politicians and local elections

The Agreement on Stabilization and Association (ASA) will not be adopted because representatives of the RS refused to sign it. Why? Apparently due to inconvenient trade deals, and publicly expressed a

By: Sead Omeragic

The Agreement on Stabilization and Association (ASA) will not be adopted because representatives of the RS have refused to sign it. Why? Apparently due to inconvenient trade deals, and publicly expressed anger over publishing of the census - the results of which have been waited for over 3 years during which the Serb side did not agree to one single reform.

The RS also refuse IPA funds, they do not want money for nothing for development. Farmers will have lost 80 million EUR per annum, which Europe offers free of charge for agriculture. Hundreds of millions have been wasted over the past years due to constant failures to adopt development strategies for energy, transport, ecology... Europe is offering money free of charge, only requesting quality programs. Is this nepotistically-based government able to meet such request appropriately and precisely?

Regardless of the fact that Federal and State Prime Ministers Novalic and Zvizdic refuse to sign the Letter of Intent towards IMF until the Serb side signs the ASA, that does not change the essence of the two decades long attitude of SDA towards development of this country. It looks terrifying, asking Angela Merkel for money and, at the same time, acting big, important and politically competent at home.

It has been definitely confirmed that this politics is only able to take and spend loans, because the loans are assets for the most primitive governments. The IMF loan is supposed to be pocket money for the local lazy politicians for the local elections. Money without much condition and primitive national propaganda and there you have your regular formula for the power.

However, there is no more cheap money. Animosities among political figures in the two entities have always seemed to be coordinated. Their media debates do not seem motivated, previously agreed rather. Their emotions in all forms are entirely unnatural.

Increasingly less people believe that, after 20 years there is still some importance in their primitive confrontations. We have witnessed genuine joy at the RTRS news when some company goes bankrupt in Federation, and triumph in Federation when some workers in the RS take to the streets.  

Some 15 years ago, when I criticized Milorad Dodik elbowing his way to the government, I was almost ridiculed for saying that. Two Bosniak politicians told me to my face that I had no clue about politics. 'We can unite this country with Milorad Dodik', they said. I asked them: 'So you want Democrat Milorad Dodik to run the RS?'

If so, please explain to the people that the RS cannot be called 'genocide creation'. By building a civilized and democratic structure, foundations of the RS would be definitely sealed.

An ambassador of one of the most powerful countries refused to answer my question about the main purpose of the international support to Milorad Dodik and what it lead to. The diplomat slowly stood up, pronounced me 'ignorant media' and announced with disappointment that we were done.

It goes without saying that democrat Dodik and the democratic entity turn out to be a mission impossible. If you are in the RS, only radical views can install you and keep you on the top. Truth be told, much different criteria are not applied in Federation for the government candidates.  

Europe offers democratic principles, it demands development and society of utmost wellbeing and human freedoms. Most of BH politicians cannot agree to such solutions. In such a state and society they would undoubtedly lose their positions of power. Radicalism does not solve anything, it only exacerbates the situation, deepens the crises and destroy healthy tissue of the society.

I'm wondering what will happen after IMF blocks the funds. Where will the money come (read: be taken away from) for the election campaign?

Will those undug streets remain so after the elections? How will our great political minds calm down workers' strikes in numerous failed companies? How will they pay back more than half a billion KM debt in the health sector? How will the foreign debt of 1.5 billion be paid back by the end of the year?

#English