Despite all problems, Bosnia’s state Presidency did many beneficial things for the country, Bosniak member of tripartite Presidency Sefik Dzaferovic said in an interview for N1, saying that he expects the collective head of state to play an important role in attracting foreign investments.
“Despite all problems, we made a certain result. We did some things that are beneficial for this country. A bit more could have been done though,” said Bosniak representative in the Presidency.
Sefik Dzaferovic also represents the Federation (FBiH) entity together with the Croat Presidency member, Zeljko Komsic. The third member, Milorad Dodik. comes from the second of two Bosnia’s semi-autonomous regions, Republika Srpska (RS), and he represents the Serb people. Dodik was the first one to take over the rotating presidency chairmanship, following the general election in October 2018.
This composition of the Presidency, according to Dzaferovic, could do a lot more if they had avoided some initial problems, including a quarrel over a flag display in the Presidency premises.
“The Presidency unanimously adopted a statement concerning the European road, we played an important role in the answers to the follow-up questions (to the Questionnaire that the European Commission delivered to Bosnia after the country applied for the membership). The Presidency for the first time expressed a joint stance when it comes to the property of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Croatia,” said Dzaferovic adding that this institution also launched a series of activities at the international institutions.
“It is possible to do a lot, especially when it comes to foreign investments, I believe the Presidency will head towards that direction,” he added.
Speaking of still ongoing formation of government in the country, following the general election, the Presidency member who comes from the main Bosniak party SDA, said no political party can condition another to join the ruling coalition.
“All political parties ran in the election, they won an appropriate number of votes. The government in Bosnia and Herzegovina is formed on the basis of election results and constitutional position of constituent peoples. You must have representatives from both entities, three peoples and the rank of Others in the government. That was set by the current system,” explained the Presidency member reiterating that conditioning is not acceptable.
The state-level government formation has been in a deadlock for past months due to political disagreements mostly over the country’s relations with NATO, which the Bosniak and the Croat side support and the Serb opposes.
The new Council of Ministers, which is effectively Bosnia's government, should be chaired by a Serb from Dodik's Alliance of Independent Social Democrats (SNSD), Zoran Tegeltija.
But since the SNSD has repeatedly said it will not agree to the implementation of earlier Presidency decisions which paved the way toward NATO membership, the Bosniak and Croat Presidency members said they will not support the naming of the SNSD's Chairman of the Council of Ministers until the Annual National Programme, a requirement for the NATO Membership Action Plan, is adopted.
