Lawmaker: Speaking of an unexplained "Plan B" is dangerous

N1

Having a member of the Presidency talk about a "Plan B" regarding the results of the upcoming election without explaining what this plan entails is dangerous and causes unrest, lawmaker Damir Arnaut told N1.

Bosnian Croat Presidency member Dragan Covic announced he had a solution to the burning issue of implementation of the upcoming October general election results after political leaders failed to agree over necessary changes to the country's Election Law in due time.

Covic, who also leads the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ), described his solution as “Plan B” without revealing any details.

“I think it is dangerous for someone on such a position, as member of Bosnia's Presidency, to say he has a plan without clarifying what that means. It sounds mystical, and mystical immediately causes unrest in Bosnia,” the Union for a Better Future (SBB) lawmaker said.

Two years ago the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina ruled that some provisions of Bosnia’s Election Law were inconsistent with the state Constitution.

Since then the authorities have failed to act within the legally allowed time-frame, resulting in a further court ruling that deleted two sections of the Law that treat the matter of representation in the House of Peoples of Bosnia’s semi-autonomous entity, which is shared by Bosniaks and Croats.

The complaint was that the numerically dominant Bosniaks can elect the Croat representative into the tripartite presidency which is a violation of a constitutional provision that says every national group should elect its own representatives.

Bosnia’s Central Election Commission (CIK) announced elections for October 7 this year. It is unclear how the election results are to be implemented should the Law remain unchanged.

Bosnia’s political leaders, most notably from the main ethnic Croat party, the HDZ, and the main Bosniak party, the Party of Democratic Action (SDA), have failed to find common ground on the issue.

Covic is up for reelection in October to represent Croats in Bosnia's Presidency, which is composed of three members, representing the three most numerous ethnic groups living in the country – Bosniaks, Croats and Serbs.

Arnaut also spoke about the Bosniak Presidency seat. He predicted that this may be the first time that someone who is not from the Party of Democratic Action (SDA), or who started his political career there, will become presidency member.

“Whoever the SDA picks as their candidate will not matter in October,” the lawmaker from the Party for a Better Future (SBB) said about the main Bosniak party in the country, whose leader, Bakir Izetbegovic, is currently the Bosniak Presidency member.

“We have claims from the SDA that they will do everything to protect (Bosniak) national interests. They don't speak about economic issues or the problem with the inflow of migrants in the country, they speak about so-called protection of national interest,” Arnaut said.

The SBB will also propose a candidate for the Bosniak Presidency seat, but Arnaut said it is yet unknown who that person will be as it will be announced on June 10 or 11.