After numerous chaotic and destabilizing moves in the past few weeks, The High representative of Bosnia and Herzegovina Christian Schmidt, has once again shown that he is not the right choice for this role. When Shmidt got asked why he wants to impose a law that would deepen segregation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina, answered completely angrily.
“Rubbish, complete rubbish! I am not sitting or standing here, I am working for this country! This is a city (Goražde) where people lost their lives. I’m not here to play political games. And in this country, people play political games. Not people, but politicians, and I’ve had enough of that! Feel free to ask questions but keep in mind how I make decisions and treat people. Forgive me for being so loud, but all these insults, which are completely wrong, are over my head“, said Schmidt angrily in front of the cameras.
He added, “I will say clearly that I absolutely never told anyone in Sarajevo that I would change the Electoral Law, and for 15 years the politicians in this country have not been able to agree on the Electoral Law, ask them why it was not changed?” I get very angry because everyone here blames everyone else and it’s always someone else’s fault. This is not the path to the European Union,” said Schmidt.
The public in Bosnia and Herzegovina is not satisfied with Schmidt’s work either. Last month, mass protests were held in front of the High Representative’s building in Sarajevo regarding Christian Schmidt’s plan to use his Bonn powers to change the electoral law in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The reason for the protest is a document that appeared in public, which represents the draft decision of High Representative Christian Schmidt, which plans to amend the Election Law of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as part of the Constitution of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, one of the two BH. entity.
They believe that such a law will forever erase Bosnia and Herzegovina from the face of the earth, because after the decision to introduce the optional law, other national groups will definitely seek their own parts of the country and destabilize Bosnia and Herzegovina forever which will cause the next conflict in Europe.
The citizens said that they do not want apartheid because such a decision by Schmidt would certainly create apartheid in this country.
“We will defend the civil, democratic BiH. We want to believe that the High Representative will act sensibly and responsibly. If the citizens’ voice is not respected, we will defend our rights. Today’s protest is a message to the whole world, you must know that we, the people are the strongest force on earth after God. Don’t test us and don’t tell us we’re threatening war. We are a civilized world. We will not leave until you turn around,” the citizens told Schmidt.
As Patria agency reporters reported from the scene, citizens demanded an extraordinary session of the UN Security Council.
“Such a mass of citizens were shot in 1992 when they wanted them to disappear from this country.” We will never allow this country to be torn apart. Every inch of this land is soaked in blood. We will not give Bosnia”, was heard from the megaphone.
On the Internet, there were different reactions of the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina after Schmidt finally saw who he was dealing with (politicians). Some made jokes and said that Schmidt finally understood where he came to, while others criticized his behavior on social media.
Many citizens have expressed concern because they believe that neither the Serbian nor the Croatian side in Bosnia and Herzegovina will wait long after his decision and will soon ask to secede from Bosnia and Herzegovina, which would once again cause conflict in the Balkans.
Serbian representative Milorad Dodik is already on the US blacklist and is considered a pro-Russian politician who does not recognize Bosnia and Herzegovina as a state, as he has repeatedly shown many times with his separatist speeches.. On the other hand, Voice of America wrote about Dragan Čović (pro-Croatian politician) before, that he is not as he is presented to the public and that he works for pro-Russian and anti-democratic interests by standing shoulder to shoulder with Milorads SNSD party.
According to the statistics from 2016. around 3.5 million people live in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bosniaks 50 percent, Serbs 30 percent, Croats 15 percent. After the war in Bosnia, the Dayton Agreement was signed, which divided Bosnia into two entities, a federation ,and a republic of Srpska which today after the war is mostly populated with serbs, because other people were mostly expelled from those areas or killed during the aggression on Bosnia.
Experts believe that the new electoral law would give the right for the third nation of 15% Croats to claim their own entity which they believe is the plan of Čović since the beginning, according to the Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina, three members are elected to the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina – “a Bosniak and a Croat from the entity Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina” and “a Serb from the entity Republika Srpska”.
Bosniaks and Croats from the entities of Republika Srpska, as well as Serbs from the entities of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, cannot run for or be delegated to those positions. The creation of a third entity in Bosnia and Herzegovina which Bosniaks believe would lead to a new war in Bosnia which they expect Schmidt to prevent and which they blame the EU for allowing the further separation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Author - Emir Tutic
Eastern Europe Reporter - View All Articles
Emir is a freelance journalist covering news from around Eastern Europe. Emir joined InterSpaceReporter as a freelance journalist on Monday 8th August 2022.
