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MOSTAR / BRUSSELS, January 20 (FENA) - President of the Croat Democratic Union (HDZ) BiH Dragan Čović addressed the members of the European People's Party (EPP) in the European Parliament tonight at a special video conference dedicated to the 25th anniversary of the Dayton Accords.
We deliver the address in its entirety:
Dear Mr. Weber, Honorable Members of the EPP,
Thank you for the opportunity to mark the 25th anniversary of the Dayton-Paris Peace Agreement in this composition and format of our EPP family.
As we all know, BiH is a multinational state that operates based on recognition and full equality of the three constituent peoples, regardless of demographic trends and variations in their number throughout BiH. The actualization of this potential is necessary to meet certain preconditions for BiH to come to life as a functional state, and as soon as possible as a full member of the European family and a respectable member of the international community.
Unfortunately, the climate of mistrust between the political representatives of the three constituent peoples often causes a functional stalemate in the institutions and a setback in the implementation of key reforms. Only when all three constituent peoples and all citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina feel safe, confident and without worrying that their identity and political rights are not recognized will the focus shift from national political platforms to socio-economic issues. To achieve this, as a key precondition, the Election Law needs to be changed without further delay, well before the 2022 General Elections.
It is necessary that following the proposal of our Commissioner Várhelyi, during his last visit to Sarajevo, BiH receives candidate status in July 2021, which would oblige us in BiH to previously agree and adopt Amendments to the Election Law in the first six months of this, non-election, 2021. At the same time, the change of the Election Law must not be an end in itself, but the first important step on the country's path to political stabilization, without which there is neither stabilization nor the Euro-Atlantic path of BiH. In that sense, I believe that we, within Bosnia and Herzegovina, must make the necessary step forward and urgently adopt changes to the electoral legislation, in accordance with the Decisions of the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
As before, we expect the understanding and support of the international community in resolving this issue, which is vital for further democratization and the realization of our full integration into the European Union. Therefore, I will advocate the adoption of a European constitution - one that is appropriate, possible and necessary for a European Bosnia and Herzegovina, with which it can gain full membership of the European Union.
Our new Election Law must be such as to integrate the political tradition of equality and freedom for each individual and all three constituent peoples. It must successfully resolve the contradiction between individual and group rights, i.e. reconcile the European Convention on Human Rights with our traditional constitutional determinants. The European and BiH political traditions can be reconciled, as they share pluralism and multiculturalism as common determinants.
I am deeply convinced that this is the only way to build a prosperous state, through the establishment of full equality at all levels and at every inch of BiH. Consistent implementation of all these principles within the Euro-Atlantic perspective of BiH requires an internal political dialogue oriented towards European political values, and it requires external encouragement and even active forms of support in the form of mediation.
We all agree that BiH must harmonize its constitutional framework with its basic constitutional principles and norms stemming from the European Convention on Human Rights. It is a double challenge for us worth every effort that allows us to truly make a civilizational step forward and prove our belonging to the space of European values. I believe that this can be achieved without losing sight of the constitutional category of the constituency of the people, which occupies a central place in the constitutional and legal tradition of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and then the provisions of the European Convention on Human Rights and the applicable judgments of the European Court of Human Rights pending enforcement by Bosnia and Herzegovina. I take this opportunity to reaffirm the full commitment of Croat representatives in working together to implement the conclusions of the European Commission by acting within the competent institutions at the state level.
Based on the priorities on our European path, it is especially important to point out that the local elections in the City of Mostar were held at the end of December last year - for the first time in 12 years. Although they were welcomed as a much-needed step forward, many serious irregularities have deeply compromised the integrity of elections and caused a wave of mistrust in the work of institutions - primarily the BiH Central Election Commission and the election results. I regularly warned the EPP, as a political group, but also many other EU officials and international officials in BiH, about all the irregularities we faced during this period. However, the elections were tainted by fictitious voters and voting from fake addresses in order to change the electoral will in urban areas with a predominantly Croat population, just as there were night counts, repeat counts, election outcome manipulation and, besides, one-month counts votes. Although the HDZ BiH achieved an absolute victory and once again gained strong support from the residents, it is estimated that approximately 2,000 votes were stolen from us. Due to all the above, the Croat National Assembly of BiH filed criminal charges with the Prosecutor's Office of BiH and the Prosecutor's Office of the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton to preserve the integrity of the process. Also, realizing that fictitious voters had begun to return to their addresses, we demanded a repeat election in the constituencies in which they tried to manipulate the results, ignoring the democratic will. This time, I reiterate my call to all of you gathered to take an assertive stance and stronger engagement to undoubtedly save democracy, electoral will and, finally, the rule of law in Mostar and BiH as one of the key items in our progress towards the EU.
Cooperation with European partners has always been our commitment. In that cooperation, but also the family spirit of this conversation, I must point out that Bosnia and Herzegovina is facing an unbearable burden of migration attacks. As a society burdened with different and simultaneous challenges, we find ourselves in another crisis that we did not cause or choose. Of course, we deeply appreciate the EU's help and commitment in resolving this issue. But BiH must find a better and more effective solution - without compromising its own population, stability, partnerships and prosperity. We are aware that we are for the most part a transition country in this matter, but we cannot allow this crisis, led by unilateral, uncoordinated and unplanned moves organized by the Ministry of Security, to spill over uncontrollably to BiH completely. The humanitarian aspect of this issue is worrying and undeniable, but so is the undeniable stability and protection of our homeland and the people who are our primary responsibility.
In the light of further updating the dedicated reflection on the Euro-Atlantic future of Bosnia and Herzegovina, I take this opportunity to invite you to the International Scientific Conference to be held on March 18 in an online and offline format, which will address the transformational potential of the Euro-Atlantic processes in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The academic community in Bosnia and Herzegovina, together with the academic community in the Republic of Croatia, will provide a platform for discussions with domestic and international officials and experts on BiH as a future member of the European Union and NATO. Your contribution, as members of the large EPP family for all of us, would be deeply appreciated.
I would like to express once again my unequivocal commitment to the European future of BiH, which can be achieved only with due respect for the equality of the three constituent peoples, as an overriding constitutional category that directly serves to support the rule of law, its fundamental value and the presumption of constitutional stability of BiH. Respect for all constitutionally and legally required institutional procedures, mechanisms and actors following constitutional competencies is a precondition for fulfilling all obligations on the path to the European Union, but also for the permanent stabilization of internal conditions in BiH.
Finally, I extend my sincere thanks for your wholehearted support and commitment to the European perspective of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the search for a solution within BiH, encouraging the dialogue between legitimately democratically elected political representatives of the three constituent and constitutionally equal peoples in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
(FENA) A. B.
