SARAJEVO, JUNE 3 (ONASA) – Ambassador of the United States of America Michael Murphy attended the conference of the Bosnian-Herzegovinian-American Academy of Arts and Sciences in Tuzla, during which he spoke about the April package as the best arrangement for BiH, returning it to the political scene and to the BiH public as a positive solution.
After Murphy praised the efforts of the diaspora for investing in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which was one of the topics of the conference, Murphy continued talking about the political situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
“It is a sad reality that this Euro-Atlantic future seems further away compared to when I first served here between 2006 and 2009, regardless of the EU’s decision last year to grant BiH candidate status. The country is facing a toxic cocktail of destabilizing political challenges: there is more and more authoritarianism and secessionism from the Republika Srpska, institutional atrophy and divisions in the Federation of BiH and the weakening of institutions at the state level caused by these phenomena. Corruption is endemic and undermines democracy and the economy of BiH. As a result of all this, more than half a million inhabitants has left the country in the past decade,” he enumerated.
He then looked back at the past years, saying that Bosnia and Herzegovina had been significantly strengthened with the help of the international community, with the establishment of the Central Election Commission, the court system, the OSA, the Armed Forces and other state institutions.
He emphasizes that “key structural changes were possible not so long ago”, but that there was not enough will for it, which ultimately led BiH to a bad political situation and an even greater distance from the EU.
“The United States worked diligently with political leaders to upgrade Dayton, and at the time, it appeared that major, positive changes were possible. The April 2006 package is probably the best example of all these efforts,” Murphy said.
He devoted the next few sentences to the April package, explaining that even today it would be a positive solution that would bring BiH closer on the path of Euro-Atlantic integration.
“The April package would strengthen the institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina and would represent a big step towards EU integration. It included one, indirectly elected president who would have mainly ceremonial powers, and a strengthened Council of Ministers with much less opportunity for any party to block the functioning of the state. would bring BiH closer to a parliamentary system that would reward the achievement of consensus, rather than the politics of division. Most importantly, according to the April package, the state would have the authority to draft and adopt laws, establish institutions and adopt standards in order to meet the conditions for integration into the EU,” he said. Murphy.
The April package was then supported by all political parties except the Party for BiH of Haris Silajdžić and HDZ 1990 Božo Ljubić. Murphy sees them as the biggest culprits for the fact that a good solution was not made.
“The efforts to work with those leaders who at that time had the political courage to build a better BiH were to be commended. Unfortunately, the April package was not adopted in the Parliament because of only a few votes – it was sunk by a small number of political leaders who could not accept nothing less than what they considered a ‘perfect’ deal,” Murphy said.
The April package was then supported by Milorad Dodik and Dragan Čović, political actors who are still current in BiH, and Bakir Izetbegović later said that it was the only solution for the Election Law of BiH. Given that the issue of electoral reforms remains unresolved, Murphy apparently believes that the old proposal is something that can still be discussed.
“Was the April package perfect? No, far from it. The negotiations were difficult. There were many in BiH who felt that it went too far in terms of reducing ethnic protections and entity privileges. There were others in the country who considered that the package did not go far enough. The April package was a compromise – which, regardless of its shortcomings, would have transformed BiH for the better. Looking from today’s perspective, it is clear that the leaders who refused compromise and promised perfection in 2006 destroyed the best chance that appeared until today to carry out true reforms in Bosnia and Herzegovina,” said Murphy.
In the end, talking about the April package, he said that after the failed agreement in 2006, the international community lost interest in finding a solution, hoping that political leaders would do it themselves, but he stated that in the end it turned out to be impossible without the help of foreigners. He points out that progress in Bosnia and Herzegovina not only stopped, but went in the opposite direction.
“Not long after, the international community withdrew. It calculated that the very possibility of integration into the EU was enough to force the political leaders in Bosnia and Herzegovina to reach the difficult compromises necessary to strengthen democracy in the country, economic growth and the future in the Euro-Atlantic community of countries. This is perhaps was a reasonable calculation at the time, but it turned out to be wrong. The assumption of responsibility by local actors ultimately did not bring about the changes that the international community expected and the citizens of BiH wanted. Instead, too many political leaders considered the assumption of responsibility by by local actors not as a call to responsible action, but as an opportunity to further divide the country, loot the state coffers, and to undo or weaken reforms. Institutions that were established with great effort have collapsed because they lacked money and solid leadership, or because they were used as a tool in favor of one political party. The momentum in BiH slowed down, stopped, and then went in the opposite direction,” he said.
At the conference in Tuzla, he also spoke about the activities of the international community in BiH and the decisions of the high representative.
“We cannot return the missed opportunities of 17 years ago. That is tragic. But that does not mean that we must miss the opportunities provided by the next decade. It will not be easy to reverse this trend. Accumulated problems cannot be solved overnight. We must restore strength and capacities to the institutions on the construction of which the citizens of BiH worked diligently, and we must restrain those who seek to destroy them and react to it. This means using the jurisdiction of the international community and preventive powers when necessary in order to defend the institutional and territorial integrity of BiH,” he said.
He enumerated the positive effects of the international community in BiH, citing the American blacklist, the increase in the number of EUFOR members, and the support of the NATO alliance. He particularly referred to the work of high representatives.
“The decisions of the High Representative in the past year ensured that the 2022 General Elections were held on time, thwarting those who tried to postpone them by withholding funds for the elections. These decisions blocked the efforts of the RS to take control of state property to which it has no right, and to assets are distributed outside the parliamentary process. These decisions strengthened the integrity of the electoral process, although the widespread frauds recorded during the 2022 elections once again emphasize the urgent need for further work in this area. These decisions prevented the collapse of the Constitutional Court of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. the possibility of political leaders abusing the right of ethnic veto and indefinitely obstructing key appointments in the Federation and led to the formation of the first new Government of the Federation since 2014 after a four-year blockade. These are unquestionable facts,” said Murphy.
He said that all these decisions were criticized in the sense that the international community is siding with one or the other, but that the real truth is that such comments mostly come from those who missed the opportunity to make an agreement for the better functioning of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
“Criticism followed from certain circles after each of the aforementioned decisions, as was the case before whenever the international community acted in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In general, critics claim that the international community chooses sides or chooses the wrong side or even changes sides . Such comments always come from political leaders and parties who have missed the opportunity to solve these problems themselves. Intervention is by no means the first choice. Frankly, the international community has too often been too patient and tolerant of unruly political leaders determined to follow narrow political interests at the expense of the citizens of this country. The guiding star for the international community, in these and all other cases, is a functional democracy, an advanced economy, and institutions that work in the interests of the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina, not a particular political leader or his party.” he said.
He also said that it is necessary to keep in mind that SDA is not Bakir Izetbegović nor that Bosniaks are only SDA.
“Some critics claim that the decisions of the high representative have deepened the divisions in this country, but this actually confuses cause and effect. Bosnia and Herzegovina – in its government and in society – must take care of its multi-ethics even as it works to reduce or even completely eliminate it. friction and mistrust in the entire fabric of the state. It is a path that must be traveled, not an end state reached by magic wand. Political leaders have resisted this path with all their might for the past seventeen years. Instead, they have promoted division by blaming others to deny them, or those they represent, a brighter future. They did so, in part, by deliberately blurring relations between parties, party leaders and ethnic groups, designed to maintain mistrust. This was done with the aim of neutralizing options that would mean well-being for all citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina. That is why it is necessary to remember, during discussions and negotiations regarding such matters, that Bakir Izetbegović is not the SDA and that the SDA are not all Bosniaks, that Milorad Dodik is not the SNSD and that the SNSD are not all Serbs, and that Dragan Čović is not HDZ BiH and HDZ BiH are not all Croats, even when these leaders present themselves that way,” said Murphy.
He emphasizes that an “all or nothing” approach is not functional and that consensus and compromise are needed instead.
“This is particularly important when it comes to the implementation of the decisions of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in the Sejdić and Finci case and other related cases. In the period from 2006 to 2022, the United States has repeatedly engaged with the aim of achieving consensus among political leaders regarding the realization of this goal, which requires an agreement between a two-thirds majority of political parties in the state parliament. The international community, including the High Representative, does not have the legal authority to amend the state constitution given that it is an integral part of the Dayton Agreement. Amendments of the state constitution require work based on trust between the constituent peoples of Bosnia and Herzegovina, who are and remain a category in the constitution, laws and society of this country,” he said.
It indicates that the change of the Constitution of BiH is now in focus and that political leaders who are ready to work on this and other reforms in BiH will receive the support of the USA.
“The ambitions that my government has in Bosnia and Herzegovina are the same as they have always been – a stable, democratic, advanced Bosnia and Herzegovina, firmly anchored in Euro-Atlantic institutions. My team, as well as I, work hard every day to realize these goals. United States are the largest single donor in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Since 1995, we have invested more than 2 billion dollars in support of Bosnia and Herzegovina, its democracy, social and economic progress. From building institutional capacities, to supporting local reconciliation and strengthening tourism, with pride we have invested in Bosnia and Herzegovina, its Euro-Atlantic future and its hard-working citizens whose determination and basic decency are the strength of this country,” he concluded.
He listed several main priorities of his government in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
“Strengthening the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina is the main pillar of our support. From the training of officers, to the procurement of vital equipment and resources, and the implementation of joint military events, the United States has been the closest partner of the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina during the past two decades, consistent with our dedication to Bosnia and Herzegovina’s path towards the NATO alliance . Fighting endemic corruption is another key priority. There are few things more devastating to citizens of a country than having to pay bribes for basic public services or believing that without good connections they cannot make a decent living. That is why the United States invests so much to the rule of law. We train members of law enforcement agencies and prosecutors who are willing to oppose entrenched corruption, and we financially assist anti-corruption offices in carrying out work that is of vital importance in building a Bosnia and Herzegovina in which no one will be above the law.” he said.
In the end, he said that it is true that the challenges facing Bosnia and Herzegovina are significant, but that Bosnia and Herzegovina is not alone.
“The United States, as always, proudly stands by Bosnia and Herzegovina, helping to realize a brighter future. No country has been more dedicated to that future, nor has it invested more in its realization than the United States of America. That will not change,” said Murphy.