Bosnia Herzegovina's High Representative Urges End to Political Deadlock
(MENAFN) Bosnia and Herzegovina's High Representative, Christian Schmidt, has called on politicians to form a government for the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBiH), one of the country's two entities, along with the Republika Srpska. Speaking at an extraordinary press conference in the capital Sarajevo, Schmidt urged politicians to end the impasse in the Bosniak-Croat region, emphasizing that this is his final call for an agreement as Political actors have obligations to the citizens.
Schmidt stated that the election results from last November cannot be fully implemented, despite the support of the majority in both houses of the parliament, until a government is formed. He reminded political actors of their responsibility to enable government institutions to do their job. The FBiH is in a political deadlock and split between political blocs, making it difficult to form a government.
The coalition formed by the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) and the Eight Alliance in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina requires the approval of Refik Lendo, vice president of the entity from the Democratic Action Party (SDA), to form the entity's government. However, Lendo does not want to approve a governing coalition that does not include his party, which won the most votes in the elections.
The FBiH Constitution stipulates that the government proposed by its president must be approved by the two vice presidents before the government can be formed. To overcome the government crisis, the SDA could relent and Lendo could give approval to the current government or there could be a coalition with the SDA, in which case the HDZ would have to back down, or High Representative Schmidt could amend the Constitution, using his so-called "Bonn powers."
However, many Bosnians are furious about what they perceive as Schmidt's interference. Last week, hundreds of demonstrators protested Schmidt and demanded officials respect the county's independence, territorial integrity, democracy, and human rights. The angry crowd chanted for Schmidt to resign and go back to his native Germany.
Schmidt's call for an end to the political deadlock in the FBiH highlights the challenges facing Bosnia and Herzegovina as it seeks to build a stable and democratic government. The ongoing political crisis underscores the need for political leaders to prioritize the interests of the citizens and work towards a peaceful and sustainable solution that respects the country's diverse population and complex history.
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