TIME WITHOUT HIGH REPRESENTATIVE WILL SHOW WHETHER THERE IS POLITICAL MATURITY

BELGRADE, JUNE 14 /SRNA/ – The Serb BiH Presidency member Željka Cvijanović stated that BiH is currently living through a period in which it has neither a “fake” nor a “real” high representative, assessing that this is an excellent opportunity to demonstrate whether the country can function in such circumstances and whether it possesses sufficient political maturity.

“I have never accepted the view of those who claimed that BiH can exist only in presence of a high representative or foreign judges sitting in the Constitutional Court of BiH,” Cvijanović said. She argued that such a situation is discouraging because the country does not rely on its own institutions or on coordination among different levels of government, but instead on the notion that foreign officials guarantee the survival of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Cvijanović pointed out that figures from the international political arena have emerged who have said that BiH should demonstrate whether it is capable of functioning on its own. She added that foreign politicians, when speaking candidly, acknowledge that Christian Schmidt has caused significant harm to BiH in general. “He confronted Republika Srpska and Milorad Dodik. He did not defeat Dodik, nor did he defeat Republika Srpska, but he did defeat BiH by showing through his actions how willing he is to subordinate the country to his own interests,” Cvijanović said. She recalled that Schmidt imposed a decision under which a person can be prosecuted for failing to comply with his directives, despite the existence of local institutions and legislative procedures in BiH. Cvijanović said that all high representatives had frustrated her because they interfered in matters beyond the authority under the Dayton framework, but Paddy Ashdown and Christian Schmidt acted most aggressively and caused considerable harm not only to Republika Srpska but also to BiH in general, thereby reducing the prospects for justice and internal political agreement. Referring to Schmidt’s amendments to the Criminal Code and Electoral Law, as well as his decision to deny two political parties access to budget funding, Cvijanović said that politicians in Sarajevo consider such measures normal because they are directed against Republika Srpska. She stated that Republika Srpska had opposed these measures and encountered various obstacles and abuses in the process. “The United States imposed sanctions on Dodik three days before the inauguration of President Donald Trump, yet the sanctions file itself states that the action was taken in July. Then the media began simultaneously reporting that Trump had sanctioned Dodik, which is not true,” Cvijanović said, adding that many of the sanctions had been fabricated.