President Milanović: The legitimately elected representatives of all three peoples in Bosnia and Herzegovina should decide on the Election Law of BiH
Bearing in mind the constitutional obligation of the Republic of Croatia to take care of the status and rights of the Croatian people in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and taking into account the strategic and national interests of the Republic of Croatia, which can be protected only if BiH will be a stable, functional and democratic state of three equal constituent peoples – the Croats, Serbs and Bosniaks – the President of the Republic of Croatia welcomes efforts made by the democratically elected representatives of the authorities in BiH to amend the Election Law of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
An agreement on the amendment of the Election Law of Bosnia and Herzegovina – which is on the correct course of being reached after the recent meeting of the leaders of the Croatian Democratic Union of Bosnia and Herzegovina (HDZ BiH), the Alliance of Independent Social Democrats (SNSD), the Social-Democratic Party of Bosnia and Herzegovina (SDP BiH), Narod i Pravda (People and Justice NIP) and Naša Stranka (Our Party NS) is the only right way and the only way to stabilize the political situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The proposal to amend the Election Law of BiH, discussed by the democratically elected representatives of the Government of BiH, would guarantee the Croatian people in BiH the right to elect their representative to the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, i.e. that the Croatian people be legitimately represented in the highest state body of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Since today, as well as after previous election cycles, the Croatian people in BiH do not have their legitimate representative in the Presidency of BiH, the amendment of the Election Law is a priority, which President Milanović considers an important step both towards securing the rights of the Croatian people in BiH and towards achieving a stable and functional BiH, a future member of the European Union. All previous interventions in the election legislation of BiH that came from outside or were imposed on BiH against the will of the elected representatives of the three constituent peoples, unfortunately, did not contribute to the stabilization and better functioning of BiH. On the contrary, they further turned BiH into a protectorate and hindered the democratic progress of BiH thereby causing dissatisfaction and resistance.
That is why it is an unpleasant surprise that we are again witnessing attempts to hinder or even prevent an agreement on amendments to the Election Law, which is an important part of a broader solution to the functioning of BiH and its progress towards the EU. Statements, such as the one from the US Embassy in Sarajevo, which unnecessarily tie changes to the Election Law to the amendment of the BiH Constitution, are unacceptable to Croatia and can be interpreted as an attempt to obstruct a solution that would ensure equal and legitimate representation of the Croatian people in the governing bodies of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The President emphasizes that the legitimately elected representatives of all three peoples in BiH should decide on the Election Law of BiH because only an agreement of the three constituent peoples can ensure the stability and functionality of that state, as well as its accession to the European Union, which the Republic of Croatia has been advocating and supporting for years. He calls on the elected representatives of the state government in BiH to independently continue discussions and agree on amendments to the Election Law of BiH.