BiH is a hostage of Covic's political appetite that can be satisfied only by the third entity

By: Edina Latif

The term 'Croat issue' was not coined in the recent history, during Dragan Covic's time or his predecessor's, Ante Jelavic.

The term had been used in Austro-Hungarian Empire, as well as Kingdom of Yugoslavia and Socialist Federal Republic Yugoslavia. It referred to the question of status of Croat lands and Croat people, which was eventually regulated by establishing of a sovereign and autonomous Republic Croatia as a national state of Croat people in June 1991.

Today, the Croat issue solely relates to the status of Croats in Bosnia and Herzegovina, whereby it gets misused to the greatest extent by HDZ BiH leader. He tends to utilize the term to prove 'inequality of Croats with the aim of forming a Croat federal unit'.

Covic's latest statements that 'Sejdic-Finci case' must be solved by January and that the selection of members of BiH Presidency as far as Federation is concerned is almost entirely decided, prove that he is not really interested in resolving the issue of 'inequality' of Croats in BiH, but that he is only after the third entity.  

Why is that?

He is not interested in Croats living in the RS, which he had demonstrated while ago by his political statements and action. They are not his electoral body. A Croat from the RS cannot be a candidate for a BiH Presidency member. However, that is not important to Covic. He agreed with his friend Milorad Dodik that he would not lay his fingers on his 'exclusive territory', and that he should return the favor by helping him achieve his own (territory).

The only thing Covic is interested in is how to install an HDZ BiH member into BiH Presidency (God forbid it may be a Croat from some other political option), while other two members (Serb and Bosniak) are to be elected.

The Sejdic – Finci verdict, which has been on a waiting list for 8 years, could have been implemented long time ago. It could have served to correct discrimination towards the Others in this country.

It guarantees that the Others may use their active electoral right that is, run for BiH Presidency member seat, which is currently possible only for the constituent peoples (Bosniaks, Serbs and Croats).

The technical issue of revision of the Constitution BiH and the Electoral law BiH has been turned into a first class political question that is now blocking vital processes in this country, including European integration.

According to Covic's 'formula', the ethnic principle should be additionally 'territorialized'. What is more, the selection of Presidency BiH members should become even more exclusive, with an additional criterion – constituent people affiliation.

The proposal for changes to the BiH Constitution, for which Covic claims to be almost completed, can pass at the BiH Parliament level if it acquires two-third majority, that is 27 of 42 votes.

Considering the fact that it does not disturb the RS, it is expected to get support by 13 delegates from the RS. Given their current silence, SDA may raise 7 hands. Then there is SBB, and one-delegate parties that one can always trade well with in legislative bodies.  

They cannot count on SDP and Democratic Front votes.

It is now clear to everyone that Bosnia and Herzegovina is a hostage of Covic's political appetite, which can be satisfied only by legal and formal establishing of a third entity.