The legal framework of the EU and the UN does not recognise the protectorate as it exists in BiH, thus it is necessary to clearly state that European integration and the arbitrariness of a self-declared foreigner do not go together. It is necessary to implement reforms based on the discussion among local officials, not on the international representatives’ desire, who do not work for the benefit of the peoples of BiH.
Serb BiH Presidency member Željka Cvijanović says that BiH’s European path depends on the implementation of the agreement reached in Laktaši at the meeting of representatives of the parliamentary majority parties at the BiH level, or the OHR or foreign factor will ruin it, as they do it regularly.
“The question is whether this agreement will survive and whether the will to move forward towards the opening of accession negotiations will be recognised,” Cvijanović stated in an interview with the Republika Srpska News Agency – SRNA.
INTERNATIONALS HAVE BEEN DESTROYING AGREEMENTS OF LOCAL OFFICIALS FOR YEARS
Cvijanović told SRNA there is a foreign factor in BiH that wants to destroy any agreement reached by local elected representatives, which they have been doing for years pretending to be friends, but in fact they are not doing anything good for BiH.
“They are pretending they are local institutions, that they should make decisions and that the fate of this country is in their hands, not in the hands of the peoples who live here and those whom the people elected to the institutions,” Cvijanović said.
RESPECT CONSTITUTIONAL STRUCTURE OF BiH AND ITS COMPETENCES ON PATH TO EU
Stating that the meeting of BiH Presidency members with European officials in Sarajevo took place in a good atmosphere, Cvijanović said she pointed on that occasion to the fact that it is important to respect the constitutional structure of BiH and its competences, stressing the importance of respecting the agreement reached in Laktaši.
She pointed out that she asked European officials to make it known to those like the OHR and certain foreign factors that are persistently destroying internal agreements that it is important to have a local agreement.
According to her, EU representatives wanted to encourage BiH with this meeting in Sarajevo to open the EU accession issue, and the Union should have positioned itself as the only credible partner when it comes to BiH’s accession to European family.
She believes that geopolitical circumstances forced the EU to change its position when it comes to the start of negotiations and the granting of candidate status to certain countries, and added that there are several member states that have a reserved position on the Union’s expansion.
The EU’s position is particularly rigid when it comes to the Western Balkans countries, she added, because there are expectations to place them in a micro-context.
“We should respect the general EU guidelines and directives, but don’t force us to change our way of life and thinking. Sometimes EU representatives behave unrealistically within the framework of all that,” said Cvijanović.
EXCLUDE BiH FROM EUROPEAN PROCESS OR BRING OHR INTO INTERNATIONAL LAW FRAMEWORK
The Serb member of the BiH Presidency says she also pointed out to the interlocutors at the meeting in Sarajevo, the position of high representatives in BiH who were passing and imposing laws even though the Constitution never gave them that possibility, and states that Christian Schmidt further complicated the situation because he does not even have the legitimacy of the UN Security Council, which is the only one competent to appoint high representatives in BiH.
“He is dealing with things for which he does not have a mandate under international law; on the other hand, you have the situation that he has not even gone through appointment procedure”, emphasized Cvijanović.
She states that a country cannot be UN member if it is a protectorate and if it is not sovereign, but also that the European integration process does not tolerate someone who is not democratically elected and usurps the competences of local institutions, and that one should make a clear statement in this regard.
“Either kick us out of the UN or keep this man within the international law framework. The Dayton Peace Agreement stipulates it for a reason, because having a protector who imposes laws, suspends the Constitution and dismiss people is contrary to the UN,” explained Cvijanović.
BiH CONSTITUTIONAL COURT TOOK HIGH REPRESENTATIVE’S ROLE
Speaking about the Constitutional Court of BiH, she says that Republika Srpska has repeatedly proposed solutions, not with the intention of destroying BiH or the Dayton Peace Agreement, but in order to create a credible and responsible institution.
She added that obviously the former games were transferred from the field of OHR to the field of the Constitutional Court of BiH, because the world saw how terrible it is that an individual makes laws or dismisses people, so then the Constitutional Court of BiH started producing decisions that were not protecting the Constitution and constitutional order, but destroying it, i.e. changing it.
Cvijanović said that Srpska proposed the creation of an institution that would not abuse its position and would be without international judges.
She noted that the amendment to the rulebook enabling decision-making in the Constitutional Court of BiH without judges from Republika Srpska shows how far their arbitrariness goes and that it is a matter of political machinery that does everything, but does not respect and defend the Constitution from unconstitutional attacks.
“The Constitution reads how to fill the Constitutional Court. The fact that the court functions in a way that is not prescribed and does not have the number of judges it should have clearly shows how much they do not respect the Constitution,” Cvijanović pointed out.
AFTER US AND EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT ELECTIONS, I EXPECT UNDERSTANDING FOR BiH AND THE BALKANS
Speaking about the upcoming elections for the European Parliament and in the USA, Cvijanović says she expects the parliament to have people who understand the complexity of the European continent, the position of the Balkans and global trends, “who will make wise decisions, not those that will hurt the citizens of EU member states”.
She adds it can be recognized that political terrain of some structures, which are in power in certain important member states, is rocking, they failed to fulfill their task either towards the citizens or Europe.
“As for the USA, I would like there be a structure, after the elections, that will not start new wars, will not treat the Western Balkans in the way we are treated now, that will come to their senses and say that it is important to promote peace and unity, no identity differences need to be stifled but nurtured in order to create an environment in which you can prosper economically,” said Cvijanović.
Speaking about her stay at the 19th Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Non-Aligned Movement member states in Kampala, Cvijanović said there was a recognizable need at that very important meeting for the gathering of the member states of this movement, as well as for solidarity.
Photo: Siniša Pašalić
Source: srna.rs
