SDA waited for 12 years to admit to have given everything to HDZ in Mostar

It has become clear that, in the story of Mostar, nobody is entirely honest. Leaders of SDA and HDZ BiH, Bakir Izetbegovic and Dragan Covic have not been honest with each other; their public statements greatly differ so one gets an impression that either negotiations are aimed at not reaching agreements or that everything has been previously agreed. And all this time, they have been skillfully deceiving the public.

The city on Neretva is being used for months for gaining political votes for the upcoming elections.

Nevertheless, the truth has surfaced in this political game for Mostar.

After 12 years, President of City Council of SDA Mostar, Salem Maric, publicly admitted on FTV that, since 2004, chief of service has always been a Croat, head of department has also been a Croat, as well as mayor of Mostar. In the chain of signatures for building permits, all signatories have been Croats.

Therefore, for 12 years SDA has intentionally and in agreement with HDZ BiH been giving upon the power in favor of HDZ BiH, and for some small personal interest, and now they admit it.

East part of town has been intentionally neglected, numerous projects for east part of Mostar have been blocked – not because of HDZBiH but because of SDA politics.

There are two electro companies, two telephone providers, two educational systems. SDA has been aware of that, and has supported it all the way, except for a few persons who publicly spoke about it and became ‘unwelcome’. Everyone else kept silent because they enjoyed personal benefits of such situation.

And now those who have kept silent are appearing with some solutions for Mostar structure that are based on principle 'let's get hold of anything before we lose everything'.

Key actors of this political saga are Izetbegovic and Covic. They have been talking for months now about being 'at the doorstep to finding solution for Mostar'. Then inexplicably they follow with statement about achieving nothing as yet.

Besides that, Covic now appears as advocate for one, united, multiethnic Mostar, while Izetbegovic who actively pushes the proposal of Mostar SDA is seen in the public eye as the politician who wants to divide the city.

Is that because US Ambassador to BiH Maureen Cormack appeared with him in the public or for some other reason, but last Tuesday Covic made an appearance in Mostar as advocate for united Mostar.

Covic opposed the idea of dividing Mostar in two municipalities as was proposed by SDA. He said that HDZ and SDA elite have almost reached an agreement as regards best solution for Mostar, yet that some lower party bodies from SDA appealed for Mostar to be structured into two municipalities along the line of separation from the past war, which is why the agreement was not reached.

At the same time, Izetbegovic stated that they tried to come to an agreement about Mostar but that HDZ lacked readiness.

- The solution that was almost agreed upon was the united Mostar with a certain degree of self-governance on lower levels of power from that of the city power, and SDA and HDZ BiH had a similar stance on that. However, HDZ BiH suddenly abandoned the proposal and offered a 'one-sided proposal', said Izetbegovic in an interview for Nezavisne novine from Banja Luka.

He added that Bosniaks will not agree to a solution due to which they would be over voted given that they are minority vis a vis Croats.

And then, on the same day, Salem Maric confirmed that Bosniaks have been over voted in Mostar for the last 12 years, something that his political party has been silently agreeing to for all those years.

The last local elections in Mostar were held in 2008. In the meantime, the Constitutional court of BiH, requested by Croat political parties, annulled the part of Election Law of BiH relating to Mostar, further requesting to even out vote value of voters from the former 6 election areas. That's why elections in Mostar were not held at all in 2012, the City Council was dissolved, and the only power is Mayor Ljubo Beslic himself.

Orucevic: I'm not interested in the politics, my sole motive is Mostar

The former mayor of Mostar and Director of Center for Peace Safet Orucevic proposed a solution for Mostar which presumes elections without over vote. Orucevic told us the reason for him to get involved.

- HDZ is not to blame for the current situation in East Mostar but only SDA Mostar. For 13 years there have not been any investments, east side of town is neglected and all due to local politics of SDA. When I saw kind of solutions they were offering for the city for which we fought in peace with politics and in war with guns, that it becomes divided, I could not just stand and watch. We fought for one BiH, for one undivided Mostar. I'm appalled by what they are doing, not just me, but all citizens of Mostar who carry Mostar in their hearts. I'm only interested in this town staying one and whole, without divisions, with elections – I'm not interested in the politics. My Mostar, you mean everything to me, says Orucevic.