FEDERAL PARLIAMENT

BLOCKED BECAUSE OF ABSENCE OF THE HDZ

AIM Sarajevo, 24 January, 1997

The latest session of the Chamber of Representatives of the Parliament of B&H Federation, only the third since its constitution, pointed out to the necessity of urgent negotiations between the federal partners in power - the Party of Democratic Action (SDA) and the Croat Democratic Community (HDZ). Problems in making the Federation operational have obviously accumulated to such an extent that they have led to a blockade of parliamentary life by deputies of the HDZ.

To the convened session of the Chamber of Representatives, deputies from the HDZ simply did not come, as they stated, because of undefined relations concerning the president and the vice-president of the Federation, but also because the law on organization of municipalities was not put on the agenda. This law was not forwarded to the Chamber of Representatives by the Federal Government, and therefore it was not possible to vote on it. The Chamber of Nations, although, it is its obligation pursuant the Constitution, also failed to give the list of candidates for the president and the vice-president of the Federation to the Chamber of Representatives so that it could vote on it. In fact, deputies of the HDZ had reason not only to boycott work of the Chamber of Representatives, but also that of the Government. However, in view of the fact that reasons for such a gesture of the SDA's federal partner are quite certainly much deeper, their failure to come to the convened parliamentary session should have been just a warning signal of necessity and urgency of resolution of controversial partnership relations.

Starting from the fact that deputies of the HDZ have a quarter of seats in the Chmaber of Representatives, Chairman Enver Kreso (SDA) decided to go on with the session, regardless of their absence. About thirty proposals and draft laws were put on the agenda, but just a few were adopted, mostly of minor inmportance. The very important package of laws on privatization, including the laws on restitution, privatization of enterprises, claims of citizens in the procedure of privatization, and sale of housing units to tenants, were just discussed. Only one of these laws - on claims of citizens in procedure of privatization - was adopted.

The question is what was achieved by this since it is well known that, according to procedure, the mentioned laws will also have to be discussed and adopted by the Chamber of Nations, in other words, when deputies of the HDZ can veto everything done so far. After all, this is the process of decision-making and operating of the federal authorities.

It is much more important, on the other hand, what was the intention to achieve by putting on the agenda the topic on continuation of ethnic persecution and safety of citizens in B&H Federation, in the absence of those who can by far do the most concerning putting an end to ethnic persecution? The initiator of the parliamentary discussion on this topic was the deputy of the SDP Gradimir Gojer, who had probably expected that the discussion would be much better organized, with more arguments and more competent, primarily by a more complete composition of the parliament and in the presence of leaders of the Federation. However, the fact that this topic was the last but one item on the agenda shows that even Chairman of the Chamber of Representatives Enver Kreso did not give it the due attention, and the discussion began without any introductory report, briefly with the invitation to discussion.

The discussion was, quite expectedly, one-sided, with a lot of emotions and frustrations, which is only understandable in view of the state of affairs in the field. A series of examples were stated of ethnic persecution, of prevented Bosniacs to return to their homes, of their difficult life in Livno, Stolac, Mostar and Capljina. The discussion at times acquired elements of euphoria which induced Prime Minister of the Federation Edhem Bicakcic to react and appeal to the deputies to use the assembly platform for seeking solution for the problems and to abstain from emotions. He said that ways for systematic solution of the problems of persecution and safety of citizens which exist should be reaffirmed.

The initiator of the discussion on this topic Gradimir Gojer was also dissatisfied with the parliamentary discussion about it. He reproached the deputies for leading the topic to the ground of intentional straining of relations. According to him, not only leaders of the Federation, as could be heard in the discussion, were responsible for the situation in the field, but also the deputies themselves who were elected by the people in order to defend them.

"We cannot be pardoned for what is happening in the field. We, the deputies, must find ways to stop the shameful persecution in the heart of Europe", said Gojer.

Will the deputies and in what manner, with the help of the highest representatives of the authorities, manage to find ways for resolving these problems remains to be seen at the next session of the Chamber of Representatives. After a three-hour discussion which could have added furl to the flames of relations of the federal partners, it was after all concluded that this topic deserves a better organized and more qualified discussion. One thing is certain, however, that without a political agreement, cooperativeness and mutual respect of federal partners, the SDA and the HDZ, deputies and representatives in the federal parliament can do little on their own.

Mirjana MICEVSKA