Schmidt’s decision could be the first step towards electoral reform

  • Slika
Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Gordan Grlić Radman commented for the Croatian Radio on the elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina, decisions made by High Representative Christian Schmidt and statements by President Zoran Milanović.
 
Concerning Schmidt, Grlić Radman said that his decision to amend the electoral law in Bosnia and Herzegovina could be the first step towards a reform of the electoral system. The minister commended him, saying that Schmidt had done what his predecessors had failed to do.
 
Speaking about BiH’s EU journey, Grlić Radman reflected on the Brussels meeting and the June 11 document initiated by the prime minister.
 
“Government has to be constituted as soon as possible and the electoral law amendments have to be made to create preconditions for getting the candidate status. BiH applied for membership six years ago. This could be the right time for it,” the minister said.
 
Milanović is a politically disoriented bluffer
 
Commenting on Milanović’s statement that Schmidt’s decision amounted to a “big fat zero”, Grlić Radman said that the president’s crude language contaminated and simplified the whole issue in this serious period for Bosnia and Herzegovina.
 
“It is necessary to listen to what the representatives of Bosnia and Herzegovina Croats say. Milanović is a mere bluffer and politically disoriented man who has found himself in the quagmire of his own lies, delusions and wrong assessments," the minister told the radio.
 
Concerning Schmidt, the minister commended his moves as revolutionary and courageous, recalling that the High Representative did not enjoy broad support for his move.
 
In July, Bosniaks held protest rallies against the announced changes and Grlić Radman also recalled that Milanović invited Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for a visit to Zagreb, who openly supported Bakir Izetbegović, the leader of the major Bosniak party (SDA).
 
The minister also told the radio that during the term of the government led by SDP chief Ivica Račan in 2000, Milanović, who used to be an SDP official, used defamatory words against BiH Croats. However, he stopped short of specifying what Milanović said exactly.
 
Text: MFEA/Hina

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