It is time for Schmidt to sanction the destructive figures, Konaković was not a traitor, Dodik's behaviour will not improve
He is absolutely a Russian man and everything he has done so far shows that we should not be naive
E. T. / FTV
The guest of the last edition of this week's show "Rezime" on the Federal Television was Fahrudin Radončić, president of the Alliance for a Better Future (Savez za bolju budućnost SBB).
Radončić spoke about all current topics in the country and the world. The president of SBB said that the European Union became aware of BiH after the Russian aggression on Ukraine.
- Unfortunately, in that great tragedy, that brutal aggression, the EU realized that the region of the Western Balkans was left to itself for a long time, and even to the Russian hybrid war and many things and influence. It is really obvious that the EU is slowly but surely starting to dedicate itself to our region, and we must use that opportunity. The situation in the country is chaotic. The Council of Ministers is not functioning, the House of Representatives is not functioning, the FBiH Government has been in a technical mandate for three and a half years, the FBiH Constitutional Court is not in full capacity. You have a lot of paralysis and it is time to help us get out of the crisis, because we cannot do it alone - said Radončić.
He pointed out that the responsibility, above all, lies with domestic politicians.
- If we do not have, and we did not have the capacity as BiH to create a modern state, to develop it, to employ, build, meet the standards set by the EU, if we are constantly dealing with entity and ethnic and national problems, if within our corps we invent traitors and orthodox believers then it is completely normal that the primary responsibility is on the domestic authorities. But the EU at one time acted like a bureaucratized apparatus, without what is called stronger leadership. With the change now in the EU itself because of what is happening, by strengthening the German role, I think that we will now have a dynamic partner in the EU who will seek and put pressure on BiH to start behaving more responsibly towards its citizens, and then towards the EU and its obligations.
Sanction for Dodik will certainly be
Radončić believes that new circumstances consider new relationships.
- You saw that Mr. Janša went to Ukraine, to the attacked Kiev, and a month ago he was kind to Putin. The same thing is with Orban. Those things will be strengthened in favor of the EU. As for Mr. Dodik, he is a lost cause and a lost "territory" in the sense of his head. That head was too attached to Moscow, to Putin. We can assume everything, but we have no reference reason to believe that Dodik will change in a positive way. He won't. He is absolutely a Russian man and I think in that sense everything he has done so far shows that we should not be naive and that in this fear of what is happening to Russia under heavy economic sanctions, he is trying to calm the vocabulary in hopes of avoiding sanctions. The sanction will certainly be.
Regarding Dodik's insulting attacks on Avaz, he says:
- I think that Mr. Dodik is making a strategic mistake. The fact that Avaz journalists published parts of a possible indictment means that journalists should not deal with the work of prosecutors and judges. The presumption of innocence applies to everyone, even to him, but Dodik does not understand is that what Avaz's journalist do is what every citizen of Sarajevo thinks. I mean the huge number of Croats and the significant number of Serbs he wants to lead. It is about his private businesses and it is about the completely legal right of state bodies and the Prosecutor's Office to investigate that. The fact that you show the middle finger to the journalists and then try to reduce the damage by saying that it refers to Avaz and BN Television is not proof that you are civilized. You are a primitive and in that nervousness he shows his true face.
He believes that the separatists, primarily in the person of Milorad Dodik, were counting on BiH and the Western Balkans to serve as bribes to the great powers.
- After Ukraine, this is no longer a realistic scenario. Through our MP Edita Đapo, SBB demanded that Russia be excluded from the PIC. When and if that happens, then the High Representative will have much easier room for maneuver to use the Bonn powers and make some decisions that will be repressive towards the politicians who are Russian branches here. I am really convinced that as far as the war is concerned, as far as the territorial integrity and sovereignty of BiH are concerned, we should not share these concerns, but we should try to solve our internal problems and turn to the economy.
The EU rightly expects some result from us
When it comes to changes to the Election Law, Radončić says that the EU rightly expects some result from us.
- This time, they expected us to implement the verdicts of the largest court instances and to show that we are able to make an interethnic compromise, that we are able to unblock the Federation. The negotiations were very complex and, unlike Neum, we really had a result. When the negotiations in Neum ended, I then asked foreigners and locals to try it, and I will ask Mr. Konaković to have another series of talks. And we made those meetings. We managed not to turn off that car, but to keep it idle, and we continued in Sarajevo. We have made a dozen very important agreements that will remain as a permanent category for all future negotiators. We fell as negotiators on 2-3 strategic things, but that does not mean that we did not finish other eight - said the president of SBB.
He points out that he does not know if there will be more negotiations at all.
- Yesterday I heard Mr. Izetbegović that as far as the SDA is concerned, they will agree to negotiations taking place only after the end of the local elections, that is, after 2024. I'm not sure we can have this situation for another two and a half years. I really think that if we, as SBB, participate in these negotiations, these are the points where no one had anything against them. We agreed on unblocking - said Radončić.
He states that Konaković and he entered the negotiations when the parties of the left did not.
- We did a very brave thing. After the meeting, Mr. Izetbegović commented on Mr. Konaković in a context that I think is not correct. Here, is Dino betraying us, and he went to the hand of Dragan Čović. It's not like that. First, the greatest patriotism now is to find an agreement. Secondly, let's not weaken that Bosniak political factor. No election campaign is worth qualifying someone as a traitor.
This situation suits the SNSD, HDZ and SDA
Radončić believes that Croats are in a situation that is less favorable than the position of the SDA because Bosniaks have already elected them a member of the Presidency three times.
- They want to regain that right in every way and they do not want to be reduced to a national minority. In this sense, the HDZ may be more interested in negotiating regarding those two strategic issues. But I honestly think that this situation suits the SNSD, HDZ and SDA.
Asked how to reconcile ethnic and civic, he replied:
-We must understand that Europe is a family of nation states. That wisdom here is stabilizing the Federation, and consequently the whole of BiH. Finding a balance between civic and national. The concept of one man and one vote is not enforceable because Serbs and Croats do not want it, and they have all the mechanisms in the House of Peoples to prevent such a law.
On the reduction of the House of Peoples and the vital national interest, he says that this is not only a request of the HDZ but of all political factors of Croats.
- They made a step forward, and even made a concession that where it was not foreseen, in the debate on the implementation of court judgments, they allowed and agreed and negotiated the reduction of the powers of the House of Peoples. That is where we made perhaps the biggest step forward.
Radončić points out that international officials have made extreme, even physical, efforts in the negotiations.
- I believe that we will balance this by the next talks and that we will solve this issue that scares someone that they will become a national minority.
Why would any politician in BiH mind the conflict of interest law?
He emphasizes that it is a great thing that both Serbs and Croats and Bosniaks demanded that we have accelerated accession to the EU.
- The bad news is double face. Why would any politician in BiH mind the conflict of interest law? That law prevents corruption, nepotism and serious crime committed by political elites. And in that sense, it is very unfortunate that they did not support that law.
He states that a legal basis has been made that the agreement, if it is reached, should be submitted for public debate.
- That everyone can correct that text, give their remarks and that the text that has just been polished goes to the House of Representatives for discussion. When it passes, who guarantees us that Dodik will not overthrow it even in the House of Representatives, let alone in the House of Peoples. I do not think that there is a party or leader on the Bosniak side who would, in that sense, trade with Dodik. If we had managed to sort this out, Dodik would be much more normal and cooperative under the pressure of sanctions and what is happening to him for a reason. The biggest problem of the House of Peoples is that the SDA enabled the SNSD to have four delegates and to be able to overthrow everything.
We will not agree
When it comes to technical changes to the Election Law, the president of SBB says that this is an essential thing, but that very little has been discussed about it.
- When it was negotiated, we went for the option to accept all or nothing. And that is music for the ears of SDA, HDZ, SNSD. We have one problem with the CEC. The CEC interpreted that electronic voter registration and ballot scanning are not possible for these elections, but rather than local elections. We have that obstacle and we have an insurmountable obstacle in the statement of Dodik, who said that the electronic way of registering voters is out of the question, those from the West want to steal me and I will not allow that - said the president of SBB.
He emphasizes that there is too much money in the budget.
- I am a man who sees a way out in the fact that the international community is starting to act even more responsibly, but for the first time since Ashdown left as High Representative, in terms of using the Bonn powers. With this way of us agreeing, we will not agree. Schmidt should first sanction the leaders of the destruction of BiH - Radončić concluded.
It is time for Schmidt to sanction the destructive figures, Konaković was not a traitor, Dodik's behaviour will not improve
He is absolutely a Russian man and everything he has done so far shows that we should not be naive
E. T. / FTV
The guest of the last edition of this week's show "Rezime" on the Federal Television was Fahrudin Radončić, president of the Alliance for a Better Future (Savez za bolju budućnost SBB).
Radončić spoke about all current topics in the country and the world. The president of SBB said that the European Union became aware of BiH after the Russian aggression on Ukraine.
- Unfortunately, in that great tragedy, that brutal aggression, the EU realized that the region of the Western Balkans was left to itself for a long time, and even to the Russian hybrid war and many things and influence. It is really obvious that the EU is slowly but surely starting to dedicate itself to our region, and we must use that opportunity. The situation in the country is chaotic. The Council of Ministers is not functioning, the House of Representatives is not functioning, the FBiH Government has been in a technical mandate for three and a half years, the FBiH Constitutional Court is not in full capacity. You have a lot of paralysis and it is time to help us get out of the crisis, because we cannot do it alone - said Radončić.
He pointed out that the responsibility, above all, lies with domestic politicians.
- If we do not have, and we did not have the capacity as BiH to create a modern state, to develop it, to employ, build, meet the standards set by the EU, if we are constantly dealing with entity and ethnic and national problems, if within our corps we invent traitors and orthodox believers then it is completely normal that the primary responsibility is on the domestic authorities. But the EU at one time acted like a bureaucratized apparatus, without what is called stronger leadership. With the change now in the EU itself because of what is happening, by strengthening the German role, I think that we will now have a dynamic partner in the EU who will seek and put pressure on BiH to start behaving more responsibly towards its citizens, and then towards the EU and its obligations.
Sanction for Dodik will certainly be
Radončić believes that new circumstances consider new relationships.
- You saw that Mr. Janša went to Ukraine, to the attacked Kiev, and a month ago he was kind to Putin. The same thing is with Orban. Those things will be strengthened in favor of the EU. As for Mr. Dodik, he is a lost cause and a lost "territory" in the sense of his head. That head was too attached to Moscow, to Putin. We can assume everything, but we have no reference reason to believe that Dodik will change in a positive way. He won't. He is absolutely a Russian man and I think in that sense everything he has done so far shows that we should not be naive and that in this fear of what is happening to Russia under heavy economic sanctions, he is trying to calm the vocabulary in hopes of avoiding sanctions. The sanction will certainly be.
Regarding Dodik's insulting attacks on Avaz, he says:
- I think that Mr. Dodik is making a strategic mistake. The fact that Avaz journalists published parts of a possible indictment means that journalists should not deal with the work of prosecutors and judges. The presumption of innocence applies to everyone, even to him, but Dodik does not understand is that what Avaz's journalist do is what every citizen of Sarajevo thinks. I mean the huge number of Croats and the significant number of Serbs he wants to lead. It is about his private businesses and it is about the completely legal right of state bodies and the Prosecutor's Office to investigate that. The fact that you show the middle finger to the journalists and then try to reduce the damage by saying that it refers to Avaz and BN Television is not proof that you are civilized. You are a primitive and in that nervousness he shows his true face.
He believes that the separatists, primarily in the person of Milorad Dodik, were counting on BiH and the Western Balkans to serve as bribes to the great powers.
- After Ukraine, this is no longer a realistic scenario. Through our MP Edita Đapo, SBB demanded that Russia be excluded from the PIC. When and if that happens, then the High Representative will have much easier room for maneuver to use the Bonn powers and make some decisions that will be repressive towards the politicians who are Russian branches here. I am really convinced that as far as the war is concerned, as far as the territorial integrity and sovereignty of BiH are concerned, we should not share these concerns, but we should try to solve our internal problems and turn to the economy.
The EU rightly expects some result from us
When it comes to changes to the Election Law, Radončić says that the EU rightly expects some result from us.
- This time, they expected us to implement the verdicts of the largest court instances and to show that we are able to make an interethnic compromise, that we are able to unblock the Federation. The negotiations were very complex and, unlike Neum, we really had a result. When the negotiations in Neum ended, I then asked foreigners and locals to try it, and I will ask Mr. Konaković to have another series of talks. And we made those meetings. We managed not to turn off that car, but to keep it idle, and we continued in Sarajevo. We have made a dozen very important agreements that will remain as a permanent category for all future negotiators. We fell as negotiators on 2-3 strategic things, but that does not mean that we did not finish other eight - said the president of SBB.
He points out that he does not know if there will be more negotiations at all.
- Yesterday I heard Mr. Izetbegović that as far as the SDA is concerned, they will agree to negotiations taking place only after the end of the local elections, that is, after 2024. I'm not sure we can have this situation for another two and a half years. I really think that if we, as SBB, participate in these negotiations, these are the points where no one had anything against them. We agreed on unblocking - said Radončić.
He states that Konaković and he entered the negotiations when the parties of the left did not.
- We did a very brave thing. After the meeting, Mr. Izetbegović commented on Mr. Konaković in a context that I think is not correct. Here, is Dino betraying us, and he went to the hand of Dragan Čović. It's not like that. First, the greatest patriotism now is to find an agreement. Secondly, let's not weaken that Bosniak political factor. No election campaign is worth qualifying someone as a traitor.
This situation suits the SNSD, HDZ and SDA
Radončić believes that Croats are in a situation that is less favorable than the position of the SDA because Bosniaks have already elected them a member of the Presidency three times.
- They want to regain that right in every way and they do not want to be reduced to a national minority. In this sense, the HDZ may be more interested in negotiating regarding those two strategic issues. But I honestly think that this situation suits the SNSD, HDZ and SDA.
Asked how to reconcile ethnic and civic, he replied:
-We must understand that Europe is a family of nation states. That wisdom here is stabilizing the Federation, and consequently the whole of BiH. Finding a balance between civic and national. The concept of one man and one vote is not enforceable because Serbs and Croats do not want it, and they have all the mechanisms in the House of Peoples to prevent such a law.
On the reduction of the House of Peoples and the vital national interest, he says that this is not only a request of the HDZ but of all political factors of Croats.
- They made a step forward, and even made a concession that where it was not foreseen, in the debate on the implementation of court judgments, they allowed and agreed and negotiated the reduction of the powers of the House of Peoples. That is where we made perhaps the biggest step forward.
Radončić points out that international officials have made extreme, even physical, efforts in the negotiations.
- I believe that we will balance this by the next talks and that we will solve this issue that scares someone that they will become a national minority.
Why would any politician in BiH mind the conflict of interest law?
He emphasizes that it is a great thing that both Serbs and Croats and Bosniaks demanded that we have accelerated accession to the EU.
- The bad news is double face. Why would any politician in BiH mind the conflict of interest law? That law prevents corruption, nepotism and serious crime committed by political elites. And in that sense, it is very unfortunate that they did not support that law.
He states that a legal basis has been made that the agreement, if it is reached, should be submitted for public debate.
- That everyone can correct that text, give their remarks and that the text that has just been polished goes to the House of Representatives for discussion. When it passes, who guarantees us that Dodik will not overthrow it even in the House of Representatives, let alone in the House of Peoples. I do not think that there is a party or leader on the Bosniak side who would, in that sense, trade with Dodik. If we had managed to sort this out, Dodik would be much more normal and cooperative under the pressure of sanctions and what is happening to him for a reason. The biggest problem of the House of Peoples is that the SDA enabled the SNSD to have four delegates and to be able to overthrow everything.
We will not agree
When it comes to technical changes to the Election Law, the president of SBB says that this is an essential thing, but that very little has been discussed about it.
- When it was negotiated, we went for the option to accept all or nothing. And that is music for the ears of SDA, HDZ, SNSD. We have one problem with the CEC. The CEC interpreted that electronic voter registration and ballot scanning are not possible for these elections, but rather than local elections. We have that obstacle and we have an insurmountable obstacle in the statement of Dodik, who said that the electronic way of registering voters is out of the question, those from the West want to steal me and I will not allow that - said the president of SBB.
He emphasizes that there is too much money in the budget.
- I am a man who sees a way out in the fact that the international community is starting to act even more responsibly, but for the first time since Ashdown left as High Representative, in terms of using the Bonn powers. With this way of us agreeing, we will not agree. Schmidt should first sanction the leaders of the destruction of BiH - Radončić concluded.
