Academic Esad Durakovic: Only pro Bosnian block can help BiH move forward

In yesterday's TV1 Evening News, Academic Esad Durakovic analyzed some events from 2016 and revealed his expectations of 2017.

Durakovic evaluated the last year as difficult on both local and global levels. For BiH, last year was turbulent taking into consideration the referendum in the RS and the debate about the Constitutional Court BiH.

- BiH Application for EU is one of the good things, though I expect to see more drama in relation to the Coordination Mechanism, when a number of questions will needed to be answered, he said.

- Last year saw some rather undesirable, for me very dramatic, external diplomatic interference with BH internal affairs by our neighbors both from the east and from the west (Serbia and Croatia). It all makes the situation in BiH unstable, Durakovic added.

He resents Serbia for its hypocritical attitude towards BiH. Belgrade 'keeps saying they support integrity of BiH, while Nikolic announces his visit to the RS on the 9th of January, which is a huge diplomatic blow'.

Speaking about relations with Croatia, Durakovic pointed out that he was more than disappointed with Croatia's attitude towards BiH than he was with the one Serbia, 'because during the war BiH had had better relations with Croatia'.

- The new Croatian government manifests one, I'm not going to say hostile attitude, but surely the attitude that is not friendly. It is an attitude which humiliates BiH and me as its citizen. With all due respect to the president of Croatia, however, she keeps making successive and very serious indiscretions as regards dignity and integrity of BiH. Kovac (former foreign minister of Croatia) comes to Stolac without any previous announcement, Plenkovic makes rather inappropriate statements. I've come to the conclusion that, neither our neighbors nor their political elites have given upon the aggressive goals, which they are now trying to fulfill by different means. If it wasn't for their persistent stirring up unrest, Bosnia and Herzegovina would be a great deal healthier, more progressive... they should leave us alone, Durakovic said.

Asked to comment if BiH should initiate the revision of the verdict against Serbia for aggression, Durakovic said he thought BiH should do it.

- Political public of BiH keeps silent on the topic of the revision. I fear a failure to meet the deadlines for the revision, which would be an historical mistake. I am not pro revanchism; I'm aware of the necessity to build good relationships with your neighbors, but we cannot achieve that by concealing the truth, Durakovic says.

He said that he could expect BiH to prosper only the parties that have been on the power for decades are removed from the political scene, and replaced with patriotic, proBosnian parties.

- I should like to believe that something could be done if, what we call the left – because I'm not sure what is left in these circumstances, if it would succeed in organizing a probosnian block, one patriotic block. In that case, one could expect these political parties that have been profiting from the plight of BiH, along with their families, to move away from the political scene. We need a new political scene in BiH. Therefore, it is very important to form such proBosnian patriotic block, and I believe it can be done, Durakovic explained.

- I'm much pleased that the Catholic Church wishes to distance itself from the politics of Dragan Covic which is deadly for BiH. That is encouraging indeed, though I'm not sure if it will echo at the lower levels i.e. parishes, Durakovic said.

- The success of independent candidates proves that the citizens have had enough of those who have held the power for 20 years. I hope that people will recognize that one patriotic block could lead us into a better future. I do not know whether it is possible to achieve that in the RS, or with HDZ... However, it is necessary that the Serbs, the Croats and the Bosniaks give their support, as only with those three peoples we can preserve BiH. I truly hope for that to happen, Durakovic added.

He blames the academic community in BiH for having kept silent all the way, as they should have been the ones to lead the citizens towards a better future.

Inzko should impose the elections in Mostar

Academic Durakovic opined that Mostar elections are the issue of political trade of those parties that see Mostar as a 'cash cow'.

- To be honest, I don't believe that our politicians will come to an agreement about Mostar. Because they were the ones trying to divide it, and Mostar citizens didn't agree to that. The only solution for Mostar is in the elections imposed by Inzko. I trust he has authority to do that, Durakovic concluded.