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MOSTAR, February 14 (FENA) - President of the Croat National Assembly BiH and HDZ BiH Dragan Čović has requested the engagement of High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina Valentin Inzko regarding the election of the mayor of Mostar.
In an open letter to Inzko, the OSCE, the European Union Delegation to Bosnia and Herzegovina and the United States Embassy in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Čović said that recent developments in the Mostar City Council represent a new attempt to “disavow rules and laws”.
"In our earlier correspondence, we clearly warned of indications of a possible threat to the electoral process in Mostar and called for the presence of representatives of the international community in BiH, to ensure that the elections in Mostar are fair. We still need your presence and vigilance in that sense, because the election itself did not resolve all the issues that are unfairly charged against this city and all its citizens, "said Čović.
The letter further states that "the focus of illegal activities is directed against Croat political entities, and thus against citizens of Croat nationality in the city of Mostar."
"In favor of options led by the Party of Democratic Action (SDA), which, following a tried and tested recipe of anti-Croat hysteria and campaign, by imposing an absurd 'pro-Bosnian' denomination in the heart of Herzegovina, are trying to establish a monopoly government and destroy any perspective and hope for a brighter future. A classical example of mimicry is at work, where the party's nationalist goals try to present themselves as something completely different, while in reality they encourage the deepest discord and divisions and it has to be stopped," Čović said.
Any political goal, the letter adds, can be considered legitimate if its achievement does not violate laws and general ethical and political principles.
According to him, the latest example of this is a conditioning of the continuation of the mayoral election process, which is very clearly defined, by the introduction of a 'three-member mayoralty'. He considers this "an extraordinary hybrid form unknown to local government or the concept of good governance."
"The question is what is the real goal of such unreasonable action and serious challenge to the establishment of city government, after so many years of its non-existence, which left a deep scar on the city crying out for agreement, harmony, development and Europeanization. Their only outcome could be further blockades, deeper divisions and complete dysfunction of the city administration. This is unacceptable because it is not in line with expectations of the citizens nor is it what they deserve," Čović said in his letter.
This, it is further stated, is an attempt in every possible way to oppose the legitimate electoral will of the citizens of Mostar and to block the process of electing the mayor, and thus the establishment of a functional city government.
He added that after the City Council of the City of Mostar was constituted, all that remains is to urgently complete the process of electing the mayor.
Despite all the irregularities that occurred in the past period, two months after the elections, and based on the adopted amendments to the Election Law of BiH that followed the signing of the Political Agreement for the City of Mostar, February 2, 2021, finally we have a constituted City Council of 35 councilors.
“It remains for us to urgently complete the process of electing the mayor to avoid attempts at further blockades and disavowal of the electoral will of all the inhabitants of Mostar. The next step is the election of the mayor in the manner prescribed by law and procedures, and in no other way. Help us at this crucial time to prevent institutional tyranny and chaos, which may result from unreasonable conditions and challenges to the implementation of citizens' will in elections," Čović wrote in a letter to the High Representative, the OSCE, the EU Delegation to Bosnia and Herzegovina and the United States Embassy in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
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