POLITICAL GAMES IN THE PARLIAMENT

EVEN WITHOUT THE HDZ, THE OPPOSITION STOPPED THE BUDGET

AIM Sarajevo, 30 May, 1997

Pre-election competition of the leading political parties in B&H Federation, has evidently been initiated by the Party of Democratic Action (SDA) and the Croat Democratic Community (HDZ), and not just anywhere, but in the parliament, that is, in its Chamber of Representatives. That is how once again, an attempt is being made to make points by haggling and disagreements between the partners in power. By means of the policy of broadening the interpartisan gap between the SDA and the HDZ, out in the open, an attempt is being made to close the the Bosniac and Croat ranks, and to reinforce the electorate.

In this context, it is quite possible to interpret the latest blockade of the operation of the parliament by representatives of the HDZ. Instead of seeking for a solution and resolving disagreements among the partners through a democratic dialogue, HDZ representatives resorted to the unpopular measure of boycott of the authorities. They also sent a letter to several addresses in which they stated reasons for their dicontent and reproached their partners in power, deputies of the SDA, that they are reaching decisions by outvoting them, and that concerning issues of vital national interest, by sitting in session and deciding without representatives of the HDZ, they are practically deciding without representatives of the Croat people in B&H.

Representatives of the HDZ in the Chamber of Representatives walked out of the parliament at a session held about a fortnight ago. They believed that disagreements with their partner in power, the SDA, especially those concerning formation of new municipalities in the Federation would in the meantime be resolved. However, not even to this day has any progress been made, and the session of the Chamber of Representatives announced for 28 May, was in the meantime held without them.

Representatives of nine political parties in this parliament Chamber, after having been informed about the reasons due to which representatives of the HDZ for the time being did not wish to sit in parliament, decided at the mentioned session to continue working without them. Mato Franjicevic, president of the club of HDZ representatives, and Stjepan Mikic, deputy chairman in this Chamber, were charged with not in the least pleasant duty to appear at the session, interpret reasons for absence of their colleagues and then leave the session themselves. They left the SDA representatives and those of the opposition to discuss actions of HDZ representatives on their own. According to the opinion of Almir Alikadic, the attempt of blocking the work of the Parliament is no news, and the HDZ attempt of blackmail is unacceptable. Irfan Ajanovic believes that by the letter in which they explained their discontent, they have derogated the Constitution of the Federation and the rules of procedure of the parliament. The behavior of HDZ representatives was interpreted by Safet Arslanagic as an echo of the convention of the Croats held recently in Neum. Having listened to this criticism, the Chamber of Representatives continued work as if nothing at all has happened.

In view of the organization and operation of the Chamber of Representatives, the decision primarily of the SDA and the opposition deputies to continue work without members of the HDZ is justified. The Chamber of Representatives, as its chairman, Enver Kreso says, consists of representatives of political parties, and not nations, and they express the will of the voters. Starting from this fact, the parliament could in fact operate without any of the parliamentary parties, with the exception of the SDA whose deputies have the majority and without whom there would be no quorum.

The question which inevitably arises, however, is whether the parliament in the system of power as conceived in the Federation and with the relation of political parties - winners in the elections can function without HDZ representatives. In other words, can it reach, and then implement valid decisions? Especially because the partners in power, the SDA and the HDZ, are in fact creators of the entire policy on all levels of power. For a law, regulation or document to even reach the parliament, it is necessary to be previously coordinated, agreed and prepared by representatives of these two parties. This is a fact which, unfortunately, cannot be disregarded, especially because the influence and the presence of the opposition in the authorities are negligible. This fact, however, does not give the right nor can justify the behavior of HDZ representatives, who have chosen the easiest way out, to boycott the authorities, and who, as a deputy said, put an ultimatum to the Parliament by this act. On the other hand, continuation of work of the Chamber of Representatives without the HDZ deputies has not fulfilled expectations and it fully revealed the essence of power and relations between the ruling parties.

It so happened even that the few representatives of the opposition ruled out the draft budget for the current year. The oppositionists simply did not act according to the wishes of the SDA and for the first time, using the rump parliament, decided about the destiny of the budget. The draft budget simply did not pass.

This made it quite clear that however normal it may seem to work without the representatives of the HDZ, it essentially is not possible. Especially if one bears in mind the fact that the SDA and the HDZ, whether by their own or by the will of the people, are partners in power on whose agreement almost everything depends and based on which the entire power is created. That is why haughty behavior of HDZ representatives on the one and cold-blooded and ignoring demeanour of the SDA on the other hand can be interpreted only as one of their highly effective pre-election moves.

Mirjana MICEVSKA