When a country is a frequent topic in international meetings or news, it never ends well for its citizens. Foreign diplomats and politicians, no matter how well-meaning, can never really understand the essence of the problem. Nor can they foresee future problems that may arise from their advice or decisions.
And why would they understand? They are not here to make decisions that benefit us, only them. And that is natural. It is unnatural that we expect someone ‘from the side’ to come and solve the problems in our house.
It is important for the international community (mostly from the west) that there is no war on European soil, and that is where all their interest in us ends. They hope that war will not come if they help the currently ruling ethno-mafia to rule this piece of the planet forever. That is why they are offering various agreements behind closed doors in the hope that this will prolong this period of stability in the Balkans.
How to Achieve Peace?
Stabilocracy ahead of democracy does not lead to lasting peace. Temporary offers do not buy peace, but only rent. And there is the international community from the east. Eh, we are not in the first place for them, but their interests. And their interest at the moment is that the neighbours from the west cannot sleep peacefully. The fact that the burden is on our shoulders, does not matter to any of them.
As for us, we are currently powerless for war, incapable of better peace than this. – as my colleague Aleksandar Trifunović says.
I think we have realized by now that there will be no war. We won’t even throw chestnuts, they are out of season, and the price of potatoes has risen, so it’s a shame to throw them around.
We know we need lasting peace, but how do we get it?
Is the solution to go to the polls and choose some others, to let them steal now or to do something good for society as a whole? Are there those who are willing to work for the good of society? I’d say there is, we just don’t give them a chance.
I thought like that until I saw first-hand who was mowing and who was carrying water in the local elections in Mostar. My word, what a vote theft! In front of everyone, proven on the recount of only fifteen ballot bags and NOTHING! In the case of Mostar, but also BiH, it is really true: It doesn’t matter who votes, it matters who counts.
In the whirlwind of bad news and even worse forecasts for the future of BiH, the question of who counts the votes have somehow disappeared, I would say essentially:
In general, the situation in the world is as follows: in developed countries, with a democratic tradition, this is done automatically, in dictatorships manually. We all know very well which category we fall into.
Taught by the experience of Mostar, I believe that our people are neither stupid nor scared when they go to the polls. Yes, there are a lot of inertia and false pre-election promises, but so far they have realized that when they stand behind the cardboard shelter, they have the right to free choice. This selection is cancelled by counting.
Precisely because of that, I think it is first and foremost to establish how our people really vote, and only then go to the amendments to the election law, the Constitution and other acts.
Negotiating changes to the election law or the constitution, while all negotiators, in various forms, hanging the Sword of Damocles over their heads is counterproductive and will not bring a good solution.
What’s more, it could do additional damage to both BiH and Europe. Don’t think that I care about the negotiators and their destinies. My biggest concern is the people who decided, despite all the difficulties, to stay here and build a life. And there is no progress and better days without the necessary change on the political scene.
For more than 25 years, Bosnia and Herzegovina, with all its virtues and shortcomings, has been the subject of various international negotiations and agreements, most of which have not brought any progress or improvement in the lives of people living within its borders. I have a feeling that with each new negotiation we are beyond what is considered a democratic society.
International pastors come here in pairs and negotiate behind closed doors with so-called representatives of the people, no longer in taverns, but in private residences.
This way of negotiations, behind closed doors, without the presence of the opposition and the representatives of the citizens, could harm Europe as well. We can already see how some EU members are starting to behave similarly. It is not excluded that another EU member will follow this way of making decisions, so that instead of Europeanizing the Balkans, we will experience the Balkanization of Europe.
Bosnia and Herzegovina is rightly placed on the list of a captive society, which means that we have democracy on paper, but not in reality. Democracy guarantees us freedom and many rights, but it also implies many obligations and taking responsibility for our actions and decisions. Are we, as individuals who want to live a good life in BiH, ready to take responsibility?
Today With us, Soon With You
I think that because I often travel around BiH, smart and sensible people live here, whose votes are stolen or annulled every year, just in sufficient numbers so that nothing fundamentally changes on the political scene for decades.
I know that if people regained confidence in the election process, more of them would be able to find the strength to come out on elections. A larger number of people in the elections, with electronic counting of votes, i.e. removing the party machinery from the electoral process would bring some new people to parliaments and trigger positive change in BiH.
New people would bring new energy to the negotiation process, bring the necessary changes to the law and the constitution so that everyone feels safe and well in their country. This would ensure lasting peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina, in the Balkans and on European soil. The Balkans are ready for Europeanization. Is Europe ready to take that first step and open the door?
If the EU really wants to see this part of its continent at its club one day in the future, we need to help ourselves play by their rules, right now. Procurement of equipment for electronic counting of votes is the least, but also the most necessary thing we need in BiH. When the will of the people is carried out and the true people’s representatives enter the parliaments, only then can we start building a real democratic society in which collective and individual rights will be equally protected. Until then, everything is just pouring from the hollow into the empty, what you are seeing with us now will soon be with you.
