INTERVIEW: JASMIN IMAMOVIĆ, MAYOR OF TUZLA
Interviewed by: Endin ČAUŠEVIĆ
SARAJEVO, August 13 (ONASA) – The Mayor of the City of Tuzla Jasmin Imamovic in an interview for ONASA speaks, among other things, on the launched production in “Dita”, the reconstruction of Tuzla economy, candidacy for Leader of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), as well as the new Labor Law of the FBiH and the Pannonian lakes in Tuzla …
ONASA: Last year Tuzla has officially received the administrative status of a city, can this be beneficial?
IMAMOVIC: It can bring benefits, Tuzla was de facto a city, but we were not de iure city, thus we were not on the list of BiH and European cities. Now we are legally a city and that status, such as diplomas, gives us new opportunities, as one of the largest cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
ONASA: Production in “Dita” has begun once again, can this help in the reconstruction of Tuzla economy?
IMAMOVIC: It can of course! The privatization done by the FBiH and Tuzla Canton has inflicted great damage to Tuzla economy. We on the other hand were developing what could be developed, and this should be known for the sake of the image of Tuzla and for the sake of the truth. Tuzla is the seat of the biggest trade, and in recent years production company in BiH. This is the seat of Bingo, which in trade, manufacturing and hospitality industry, is employing over 6,000 workers across Bosnia and Herzegovina, Tuzla has the best technology park in the Balkans, which has for several years enabled the work of about 400 young engineers, it has the largest incubator of small and medium-sized enterprises, beer factory produces more and more, Power plant and mines are the largest producers of electricity in BiH, salt factory is very successful, Deling is one of the best companies in BiH, and electric motors for wind turbines, trams and trains are produced here, boxes for protection of electrical installations, furniture, is exported to EU countries, we have, therefore, a lot of successful businesses in Tuzla, thanks to the Pannonian lakes there has been a rapid development of tourism. But the damage that the FBiH and Canton inflicted upon us, by a horrible privatization, was great. When it comes to Dita, we are doing everything to help and Dita is a turning point and good news. Recovering production in Dita led to a massive manifestation of economic patriotism of all citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Thus Dita became a symbol of economic patriotism. People in all parts of the country buy Dita products equally. Tuzla Dita is considered as their own by Banja Luka, Trebinje, Mostar, Stolac, Tuzla and Bijeljina. On all sides Dita receives orders and proof of this is that everything is possible if we really want it. In Bosnia and Herzegovina we are quite mindless, in the sense that people seek happiness across some hills and mountains, and not in their mother country BiH. People in Bosnia and Herzegovina prefer to buy any foreign products, rather than products of BiH factories. Dita awakened this economic patriotism. If we had more self-respect, then we will get more respect from others. If we had more self-esteem and all tried to buy whenever possible product of BiH production, we would have a very large number of new jobs. Dita is moving forward and workers should be thanked for preserving the property of Dita. My colleagues and I, in cooperation with the bankruptcy trustee and head of the trade union Dita, do everything to be built as soon as the missing part of the stolen pipeline, ie. steam pipelines, necessary for the production of powder detergents. Dita is moving forward! I hope that we will through a good example of Dite, create a pattern that will apply in Livnica and other companies. This pattern could help workers throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina.
ONASA: Lately in the FBiH there has been a debate on the new Labor Law of the FBiH, you come from Tuzla, which is known as a “workers’ city” and whose workers launched protests last year across the country, what is your opinion on the new law, is it favorable or not for the workers?
IMAMOVIC: I think there was a mistake in the steps taken, there should have been a long and intensive dialogue with the union, and the dialogue with the union is a civilization heritage and there is not a place in the world where you make such major decisions so hastily, without dialogue and harmonizing positions with the union. When it comes to IMF funds, I have a completely different approach. Let us begin for example from the assumption that the trade unions, workers, parliamentarians, and the opposition all embraced and adopted the bill in order to receive the IMF funds for the stabilization of the government, entities and cantons budget. Thus, we receive the IMF funds, and we do not remove the cause of getting into this situation, today we are in need of these funds, we get the funding and put them in a bag without a bottom in the form of thirteen countries in a single country of Bosnia and Herzegovina, in the form of fourteen prime ministers, about two hundred ministers, nine hundred assistant ministers, most parliamentarians and legislative bodies in the world … we are a country of prime ministers, deputies and ministers. Whoever you come across at some kind of function, either was or is or will be. We must therefore change this terrible legal system, I would not go in chronological order, I would first change the constitution of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, some parts of the constitutional system of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which would create the conditions for changing the Dayton constitution. I would change the FBiH Constitution with the aim of the FBiH budget, as well as the budgets of cities and municipalities becoming twice as bigger than today. Then we would not need the IMF money and we could negotiate with the workers any and not a non-conflicting labor law.
ONASA: You have recently confirmed your candidacy for SDP president, what can you offer in that position?
IMAMOVIC: I can offer a completely different way of working from the current one. In that sense, in work so far too much responsibility, and great power, was taken on by the president, the general secretary of the party and perhaps two of the four vice-presidents and two or three members of the Presidency. If I win, I would lead the SDP same way I lead Tuzla. Nobody is as smart as all together, and no one is as strong as all together.
Regarding the particular initiatives to be implemented, I know that, with adequate organization, it is possible to engage more than 1,000 SDP people who are experts in their areas. I do not want to engage myself and a few other people. I want to engage people who have the knowledge, who can and want to work, and there are several thousand of such. If I win, it will be a victory for a large number of quality people. If, for example. in the municipal presidencies you have on average about 15 members, for each member there is associated counsel or committee of a dozen members, all multiplied by 100, you will easily find across the country competent people in different areas of life and work, take advantage of this energy of a large number of individuals who have only one desire: to make this country or their city a better place to live in.
That is the only way to set free this new energy of SDP. So, I know how to motivate and involve a large number of individuals. I have been doing it for years in Tuzla and in every election on the basis of the work of a large team I won four times in a row. Today only the work of a large, competent team that is widespread across the country can raise SDP and push it forward with great force. This is what I offer, in contrast to previous work that some like, but most members and voters do not.
ONASA: Can you tell us something more about your latest novel “Salty Earth”?
IMAMOVIC: The first motive for publishing the novel “Salty Earth” was a love story between a national hero Enver Šiko and Frida Laufer, who were wanted by the NDH and the Gestapo. Another motive was to speak loudly about anti-fascism. The area of the former Yugoslavia, and even Bosnia and Herzegovina for that matter, had a kind of consensus based on national equality and the principles of anti-fascism as civil principles. Then, after Tito’s death, there was first the changing of street names, the elimination of manifestations of anti-fascism, mockery of anti-fascism, declaration of anti-fascism as Bolshevism. The river of truth flows through channels of misconception, and it is a great misconception to demolish the principles of anti-fascism. In the end, we all fell victims of fascism, primarily because anti-fascism retreated and made room for fascism.
We have to invest a lot of energy to get out of the channels of misconception and get back to the right path. Without that we can not reintegrate BiH, without a strong anti-fascist exposure and strong anti-fascist will we can not reintegrate Bosnia and Herzegovina and preserve the borders that were defined by AVNOJ, and AVNOJ is a heritage of anti-fascism. BiH has a centuries-old continuity of statehood, but this continuity was several times interrupted and it was re-born in the AVNOJ borders in an anti-fascist struggle of all peoples and nationalities. In the late eighties a collective state of mind was created that you cannot talk about national heroes, that you have to abandon the monuments of that period, and spite was born in me, and I wanted to write a story, and I will not stay silent about anti-fascism, because when anti-fascists are silent then fascists speak. We antifascists do not have the right to remain silent.
ONASA: How much do Panonian lakes influence the development of tourism in BiH?
IMAMOVIC: Pannonian lakes are the biggest tourist magnet in BiH and influence tourism in BiH and the region. Pannonian lakes for 2012 got the second prize Ulysses from the World Tourism Organization of the UN, for innovation in public policy and management within the project “Valorization of natural heritage – Pannonian salt lakes in Tuzla”. German “Die Zeit” has devoted an entire page to Pannonian lakes in Tuzla and I learned from the journalist of that newspaper, who made an interview with me, that the editorial staff was overwhelmed with the demands of people in Germany for new information, to book a holiday next year at the Pannonian lakes etc.
Pannonian lake, only this summer, until this morning, August 12, 2015, was visited by over 300,000 people. Another advantage for us is the Tuzla airport and at this moment there are may foreign languages being spoken at the Pannonian lakes. Entrepreneurs now have a problem, we surprised entrepreneurs in Tuzla with this idea of mine, because they have not managed to make hostels, family hotels, to rent apartments, citizens are swamped with requests for lodging etc.
This is a great opportunity for the development of tourism in BiH, especially in Tuzla. We have adapted the cultural program with the summer tourist season and for the seventh time in a row we had the Festival of Youth Art, and the most attractive were the evening concerts by renowned urban bands. More should be done because interest in the Pannonian lakes is rapidly growing and more and more people come here for holidays.
The salt lakes and their tourist potential have brought to us in Tuzla the largest private investment worth 100 million euros, which is the Hotel “Mellain” with all the delights that a top hotel can offer. (end)