Željka Cvijanović, the Serb member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, said that Bosnia and Herzegovina cannot record success as long as imposed force prevails instead of dialogue, and that Republika Srpska, through its institutions, can ensure political and economic stability for its citizens.
Cvijanović said that, due to the absence of dialogue among domestic institutions in Bosnia and Herzegovina, both the economy and infrastructure are suffering.
“Everything in this country suffers because of a distorted scenario or the role that has been usurped by foreigners. It is high time for institutions to breathe, to start doing their job in line with democratic principles,” Cvijanović stressed.
A fragile community of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Cvijanović emphasized that Bosnia and Herzegovina is based on the Dayton Agreement, which precisely empowered domestic authorities on how to behave and make decisions within their competences.
“For Bosnia and Herzegovina, only dialogue can be a solution. All solutions imposed from outside have proven catastrophic and have led us from one crisis to another,” Cvijanović pointed out.
In global geopolitical developments, preserving institutional capacity is crucial
Cvijanović said that there is no global movement that does not affect every part of the world, and that it is most important to preserve the capacity of Republika Srpska’s institutions to carry out their obligations toward all categories of the population.
When making political decisions, she said, it is necessary to ensure the survival of institutions.
“What is happening on the global stage today can be felt in micro-spaces. The Balkans are, globally speaking, a micro-space. There are various debates, expectations, and fears. Generally speaking, this entire area is excluded from what is called global decision-making,” Cvijanović said.
She added that the world is entering an era in which the “game of the great powers” is much more visible than before.
Commenting on the election of the new Government of Republika Srpska, Cvijanović said this was also a positive response to the troubles caused by global developments.
“Especially with a focus on what needs to be done to protect the population, to deliver on what was promised—this includes wage and pension increases and infrastructure projects that will serve everyone in Republika Srpska,” Cvijanović emphasized.
Sarajevo has declared support for Hamas and similar groups
Commenting on posters recently plastered in Sarajevo resembling wanted notices for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Cvijanović said this shows attitudes toward sides in global issues, noting that the city had previously hosted gatherings where Hamas flags and those of other organizations designated globally as dangerous and terrorist were waved.
“In that way, Sarajevo declares itself as being against Israel, and that can be clearly seen. This is not the only manifestation. We previously had rallies in support of Palestine, and we will recall that there were also gatherings where Hamas flags and those of other organizations designated globally as dangerous and terrorist were waved,” Cvijanović noted.
She stressed that aligning with a particular side clearly shows a political stance and recalled that Republika Srpska has a clear position regarding major conflicts.
“We do not want to expose ourselves in that way. We have our traditional friends, and we believe they will succeed in doing everything necessary to restore peace, whether in Ukraine or in Gaza,” Cvijanović said, adding that at the level of the Presidency and the Council of Ministers consent has been given to decisions offering participation in achieving peace.
Development is possible only in peace and without a distorted democratic system
Cvijanović said that it is difficult to speak about development in Bosnia and Herzegovina under foreign administration.
“Our messages should be messages of calming, not of alignment. When you have peace, then you can talk about development. When you have foreign administration, as is present in Bosnia and Herzegovina, it is difficult to talk about real development, because when something is distorted outside the democratic system, it is hard to behave democratically,” Cvijanović said.
She stressed that democratic behavior also implies voting in elections to choose representatives who will protect the interests of their people through political decisions in institutions, rather than changing the will of the voters.
“The will of the voters cannot be trampled. The judiciary cannot be manipulated. It cannot be, as various High Representatives in Bosnia and Herzegovina once thought—and today the illegitimate Christian Schmidt thinks—that they can act above a democratically elected parliament, usurp and steal the parliament’s job,” Cvijanović warned.
Serbs will never distance themselves from the Serbian Orthodox Church
Cvijanović condemned the statement by former head of the Islamic Community Mustafa Cerić and said that in the call to establish a “Bosnian Orthodox Church” she recognized an attempt to distance Serbs from the Serbian Orthodox Church.
“First, where do they get the right to say this? Second, what are they trying to achieve and what message are they sending? Third, perhaps most problematically—who do they want to be ‘the master in this country’?” Cvijanović asked.
The past year marked by a crisis of competences
She pointed out that the usurpation of institutions at the joint level is evident—in the Presidency, the Council of Ministers, and the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Cvijanović emphasized that the Presidency is an institution where positions are reached through agreements, and that any form of outvoting and unilateral action is unacceptable.
“All institutions were in crisis. Disturbed relations within the Council of Ministers, disturbed relations within the Parliamentary Assembly—all of this is the consequence of someone’s megalomaniac desires to govern everything in Bosnia and Herzegovina,” Cvijanović assessed.
She stressed that, in addition to internal usurpation, there is evident disorder caused by unconstitutional foreign interventionism.
“These interventions have led to general chaos in the country. They have led to the abuse of the judiciary, to a foreigner imposing laws and the judiciary acting under those laws. The Constitution clearly defines who is the legislator and authorized proposer,” Cvijanović emphasized.
Cvijanović said that Bosnia and Herzegovina is a country in which the Constitution is trampled and imposed force prevails.
Source: RTRS
