The Democratic Alternative in B&H After the Elections

The Stakes are Much Higher

AIM Sarajevo, April 30, 2001

Recently, asked about the involvement of the political alternative in B&H, a Sarajevo politician retorted to his collocutor: "What alternative, are you crazy! The political alternative in B&H has become the authorities!" At the same time, a member of one-time and current alternative, a literary author and journalist, Sead Fetahagic, said for AIM: "All wise authorities need an alternative, same as they need a good and high-quality opposition. The alternative does not necessarily have to be against them, but can offer a different opinion... Although mothers scold their children, that doesn't mean that they do not love them."

The question/dilemma "The democratic alternative after elections in B&H?" was the title and central subject of a two-day gathering recently held in Sarajevo. The organiser of this gathering was the Civil Alternative Parliament (GAP) from Tuzla, which rallies several non-governmental organisations and covers the entire territory of B&H with its activities (the Circle 99, the Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in B&H, the Helsinki Committee for Human Rights of the Republic of Srpska, the Civil Forum of Tuzla, etc.). Those advocating the thesis that the political alternative in B&H is not necessary after the November elections use as an argument the fact that a large number of members of the alternative have joined institutions of the current Government. For example, the following members of the Association of Independent Intellectuals - the Circle 99 have become members of the state and entity governments: Bozidar Matic (Chairman of the Council of Ministers of B&H), Alija Behmen (President of the F B&H Government), Gradimir Gojer (Minister of Culture in the Government of the Sarajevo Canton). From the B&H Alternative Council of Ministers (AMV)/Shadow Cabinet the following members are now in the Government: Nikola Grabovac (Deputy Federal Prime Minister and Finance Minister), Sejfudin Tokic (one of the founders of AMV B&H and Vice-President of the House of Nations of the Parliamentary Assembly of B&H).

Slavko Santic, Secretary General of the Circle 99, didn't have any dilemmas regarding future work of this association and activity of the alternative in general, but nevertheless wondered whether Circle 99 should now necessarily become the opposition: "The democratic alternative now has a completely new role which doesn't inevitably imply that it should become the opposition which would critically observe the implementation of ideas we have advocated in recent years. Organisations, which were the alternative until the elections are now assuming the responsibility of becoming partners until these ideas, become reality. That surely isn't a comfortable opposition role, quite contrary - representatives of the alternative who are today in power are now only answerable to DAP (The Democratic Alliance for Change) which appointed them, as well as to the citizens of B&H, but also to the alternative itself", said Santic pointing to the mistaken conclusion of those who equalise the alternative and political opposition which is, at this moment, actually represented by "national and nationalistic parties".

The current authorities in B&H are mostly composed of members of the Democratic Alliance for Change (DAP), which, in all fairness, is not an entirely "natural" political structure. Namely, this "conglomerate" of political parties consists of strong Social-Democrats, but also fringe parties like the HSS, LDS, GDS, as well as some parties which could be considered of medium strength, but are led by one-time leading cadres of national political parties, such as the Independent Croatian Initiative and Party for B&H - Kresimir Zubak (who came from the HDZ), and Haris Silajdzic (from the SDA). Thus, the DAP, as it was emphasised in the discussions of this round table, brought together those with a strong concept and well-defined programme and those without any concept but used to power and lusting after it. "If these and such authorities fail to carry out the announced programme which should lead us to the normalisation of life then all retrograde, i.e. national characteristics will resurface", expressed his fears one of the members of Circle 99 and of the AMV B&H (Alternative Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina), Professor Juraj Martinovic.

There are about three hundred non-governmental organisations in B&H and, as Professor Martinovic noted, many are used just for personal business, for the material benefit of individuals and as their "meal ticket". "In relation to the authorities and international community many NGOs behave as if "silence means security". But, the alternative must not be silent, just as it must not become euphoric over the fact that some of its members have risen to power. Stakes as much higher this time", pointed out Martinovic reminding that in earlier struggles between the alternative and the opposition nothing could be lost, apart from the existing nationalistic authorities losing strength. However, it is now necessary to strengthen and keep the existing positions and fight against the opposition which is strong by the very fact that it was once in power and still has numerous levers.

In such a situation the political alternative as a kind of "checkpoint" is necessary, reminded Zlatko Dizdarevic, a publicist who has no doubts as to the need for an alternative today: "We were not an alternative to individuals, but to the concept of power and the question is how much will the philosophy of power change since the composition of the current Government has been dictated by electoral mathematics. The alternative has to be the alternative to every political nonsense. It is not an alternative to individuals, but to political processes, processes which are against civil society...It will cooperate with the Government institutions where possible, but oppose them where necessary", said Dizdarevic.

Irrespective of the new structure of authorities, the civil notion still represents a scare in the greater part of B&H but, at the same time, the alternative must have some trust in the new authorities", reminded Vahid Sehic, President of the Civil Forum in Tuzla and at the same time the GAP President, and asked whether it has been determined what kind of Bosnia its citizens really want. One of the leading authorities of the SDP B&H recently stated off-the-record that he was worried about the quality and character of the new B&H authorities: "These will be rather bad authorities, but the only good thing is that with some effort they can never be worse than those they are replacing." On the relations between the new authorities and the democratic alternative, Minister Gojer said for AIM: "There is a large number of non-governmental organisations which can serve to articulate the needs of B&H citizens and which can cooperate with the institutions of the system or correct their work. The Circle 99 itself is already very critical of the work of the new authorities and I fully support that. I too need a checkpoint."

And although the dilemma on the alternative's necessity is "a fictitious dilemma" for many, the independent political analyst from RS, Milorad Zivanovic, who was also the mediator at this round table, reminded of the B&H cruel reality: "Government of a foreign country recommended to its representatives working in our country to be economic and exclusively use train for transportation! It is not only that we do not have a train, but also we do not have a state, for that matter. At the same time, we have much worse political environment than in 1996. The democratic forces are practically non-existent. Healthy forces have not yet prevailed in the RS, nor in the Federation. Actually, the Alliance was developed in a rather unnatural way and is essentially a cloned "Unity" from Banjaluka. The idea of alternative must be analysed because it is not a sum of institutions, but a way of life, starting from ecology up to economy, and in our country all that is still truly tragic", said Zivanovic.

Be that as it may, this debate has shown and conclusions underlined that the democratic alternative "would maintain a critical relation towards the current authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as those in both entities, bearing in mind the fact that all members of the Democratic Alliance for Change and the coalition cannot guarantee the development of Bosnia and Herzegovina as a civil and democratic state. In that regard, the Democratic Alternative should play an active role with a view to creating the prerequisites for Bosnia and Herzegovina to get out of a political, economic and moral crisis". It was also pointed out that the Alternative will endeavour to define vital national interests of peoples living in Bosnia and Herzegovina so as to prevent their abuse, which was a regular phenomenon until now and whose protagonists were representatives of three national parties. It will insist on the adoption of the Electoral Law in Bosnia and Herzegovina which would protect the interests of both citizens-nationals, as well as of nations in the most fundamental way.

There is also a need to redefine the role of the Alternative Council of Ministers which has been "used up" as an institution: "It will no longer exist in its previous form, but will be transformed into another body composed on non-party experts who will work on creating programmes and projects that might lead B&H towards further normalisation of life", announced Sehic.

Rubina CENGIC

(AIM Sarajevo)