BH property in Croatia: The longest European battle for ruins

By: Sead OMERAGIC

The story about confiscation of BH property in Croatia under the recently passed Law on governing state property – seems more like a bad construction. Pending issues fall under the Annex G of the Agreement about succession, while  the enormous property of BiH in Croatia is being treated by the courts. The Strasbourg referred to the trial as the 'longest court trial in Europe'.

The application of the Annex G of the Agreement on succession is an unconditional legal framework for processing many requests relating to property laws.

Croatian media keep silent about this issue. It would be good to know who has awakened BH public to this issue through the local media.

Negotiations between state delegations of BiH and Republic of Croatia concerning the Agreement on property and legal relations began in 1997. They continued after concluding of the agreement about succession issues between former Yugoslav states, from 2004 – 2009. The result – the agreement was not concluded but Croatia and Serbia got all the properties back that these countries had had in BiH.

We in BiH have seen once more what kind of people run our country. Who are the leaders who over the past quarter of the century failed to retrieve the property owned by this country? By the way, is there any politically significant Bosniak name that has not positioned itself on the Adriatic coast with his post war property?

Ever since the war, the finance minister seat as well as the one of justice minister have been occupied exclusively by Croats. Hardly a coincidence, at all levels. 23 years later, we still haven't resolved the issue of huge state property that has been falling into ruins. A helpless expert tried to explain the situation:

- Every 4-5 years another false news about Croatia stealing away Bosnian property is skillfully planted, provoking noise and rage at this end. After a few days, everything clams down and the issue gets forgotten, while the ruins that BH citizens have built and paid for continue to sink and fall apart on Croatian land.

Most of our ministers, parliamentarians and ambassadors give one interview during their mandate, perhaps 2-3 statements and then they move on with their wealthy careers. In the past 23 years, none of the property worth billions has not been returned to this country. Is there anybody out there to make the issue of such neglect, without Croatia navigating it?

Bosnia and Herzegovina has been a victim of cruel HDZ politics for decades. Republic of Croatia has been charged for the aggression on BiH. For dozens of destroyed towns, mass killing of civilians, ethnic cleansing, the detention camps, rape, starving civilians. Half a year later, there is no mention of the verdict (all the while, behind the closed door, Croatia keeps pressing the UN to annul the verdict, lobbying all over the place. Similar to the British who proposed for Russians to oppose the alleged enforceability of the judgement by the Hague court against Serbia).

Owing to the HDZ politics, today we have ruins of BH citizens' property both here and in Croatia. When it comes to justice and compensation, once cannot overlook the ministries of justice and finance held by HDZ members. Of course, it all happens thanks to Bosniak member of SDA who, when they gain power, lose their mind and reach for the most insignificant positions in the country.

During 23 years of peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the elections are referred to as political work, by the party good-for-nothings and incompetents who manage to get in where they don't belong, every time. Those few competent people do not ask anything and are placed at the bottom of the hierarchical chain of power.

We are where we are: Never before the politically correct were above the competent in such pathological quantities...