Željko Komšić (56) is a member of the three-member State presidency of Bosnia-Herzegovina. The Croatian Bosnians, was elected in 2018 for the third Time to the Bureau, in the according to the Dayton Constitution only Croatian, Bosniak and Serbian members can be selected. He has been trying for years for a Reform of the Constitution, which should not give constitutive peoples, but equal citizens of equal rights. DW spoke with Komšić, during his visit in Berlin on the 25. The anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide.
DW: Mr Komšić, on 25. Anniversary of the genocide of Srebrenica has started a new round of Negotiations between Serbia and Kosovo. Prepares Bosnia-Herzegovina to Kosovo Nations legally recognize?
Željko Komšić: It is not unknown that there is no consensus in the State presidency. Mr Dodik, the Serbian member of the Presidium, it is violently opposed, to recognize Kosovo. But – if you want to be realistic and pragmatic: Kosovo is an independent state. So, this is now. One waits only for the fact that Belgrade accepted that fact. Then things will be easier.
How do you assess the recent protests in Belgrade?
Here, the Corona is used pandemic for a kind of uprising. It was quickly clear that this has nothing to do with the pandemic, but with Kosovo. Everything points to the fact that there is an organized political structure that hides its political objectives behind the Corona facade. The goal is to make an agreement between Belgrade and Prishtina impossible.
In whose interest is it?
It is in the interests of the extremist Right and fascists in Serbia, as well as their supporters in Eastern Europe.
Should be recognised Kosovo from Serbia, could Bosnia-Herzegovina will lose its Serbian entity, the Republic of Srpska?
How is that supposed to happen? Kosovo and Bosnia-Herzegovina are not comparable. Bosnia was recognized as a state on the basis of the results of the international Badinter Commission. Bosnia was in the old Yugoslavia is a Federal Republic with the right to self-determination, which was implemented in 1992 by a Referendum. Kosovo had a Status of Autonomous provinces (within Serbia). This is neither the Constitution of the former Yugoslavia nor the international humanitarian law is comparable to.
But Milorad Dodik, the Serbian member of the Bosnian Presidium, and the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, have, on several occasions, a scenario of the spin-off of the Republic of Srpska and their connection to Serbia for possible explains.
you have tried, in the war of 1992-1995. You should remember how that went at that time to the end. And what happened to the Serbian politicians, who had as their predecessor at the time, the Offices, and where they landed (in The Hague – Anm.d.Red.). I would be at the point of Dodik and Vučić, I would not play with fire.
How will the election victory of the HDZ in Croatia, the impact on Bosnia? Since neither the HDZ in Croatia, you know, the HDZ in Bosnia as a Croat member of the state Presidium in Lausanne?
The HDZ in Croatia is trying to take over the HDZ in Bosnia and about the construct of the “constitutive peoples” – an anachronistic, anti-against civilisation and a Soviet concept that no longer exists even there to keep Bosnia as a kind of hostage. What helps us is the main EU document for Bosnia-Herzegovina to the EU-approach. All of the 14 priorities in this document were accepted by all the EU States, including Croatia. What Croatia tried in the last few years, as interference in the political System of Bosnia-Herzegovina, is a violation of this EU document. There was more exchange between Zagreb and Sarajevo during the war than it is today. The problems we have with Croatia, we could have relatively easily solve – but they don’t seem to want to.
Why was it important to you, at 25. To remember the anniversary of the genocide in Srebrenica in Berlin in the memorial Church in mind?
Because this is not a topic that is only for Bosnia and Herzegovina is important. After the Second world war was not to be expected that on the European continent, something could happen, what was the horrors of the Second world war in a similar way. Regardless of the fact that in many places in Bosnia, the same crimes, namely genocide, has been committed, is Srebrenica became the Central Symbol for the crimes committed against Bosnia and Herzegovina and not only against Bosnia and Herzegovina, but the entire civilization.
How do you assess the Statements of the Serbian Minister-President Brnabić in a DW Interview that in Srebrenica is not a genocide would have happened?
what tells Brnabić,is not of importance. The only serves domestic political goals in Serbia, and perhaps in the Region. It would be good if finally people would be in these government structures, in particular in Serbia – the state apparatus involved in the implementation of the genocide, the human greatness and courage and say: “Yes, it was genocide.”
Why has Bosnia-Herzegovina still has no law against the denial of the genocide?
We are not because of the political situation, unfortunately, able to pass a law. In my opinion, it is a civilizational responsibility, not only the denial of genocide but also the Holocaust, to be placed under punishment. Representatives of human rights organizations have contacted on several occasions to the High representative (OHR) for Bosnia and Herzegovina, that he is to adopt such a law, because he has the so-called “Bonn powers” – but it never came.
What should happen so that all three members of the State Executive Committee are elected by all the citizens, and not of an ethnic group?
That would be a concept that I would see in Bosnia and Herzegovina like. The model of the constitutive peoples is obsolete. It had its function in Ex-Yugoslavia. As this Yugoslavia disintegrated, it was shown that this concept is outdated and the current Situation is not. In addition, it will be instrumental to operate the resolution of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
What is the Alternative?
the concept of the European Union, where the human rights and every individual Would be protected. Without waiting to see whether someone is a Serb, a Croat, Bosniake, Roma, Jew, or whatever. And that is exactly what is in the Expertise of the EU Commission. Bosnia must be a state of free and equal people, not constitutive peoples.
author: Jasmina Rose
*The post “a member of the Bosnian presidency that “Kosovo is an independent state,”” published by Deutsche Welle. Contact with the executives here.
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