One of the leaders of the opposition (and former communist party president of Bosnia and Herzegovina), Nijaz Durakovic, writes in his regular column in the October 5, 1997 issue of the Sarajevo weekly "Svijet" concerning the political situation in the federation.What are the main mutual accusations /within the Federation/ ? From the "Bosniak side, not much trust is put in the sincerity of the Croatian devotion to the Federation, particularly due to the tragic Herzegovina experience, where, beginning from Prozor, across to Mostar, Capljina, Visici, Stoc and Dubrava, the situation remains in a status quo, without the wish that something is truly changed, and what is even more important, that steps are undertaken people return to the places from which they have been shamelessly expelled from under the darkest and most degrading conditions, along with undeniable genocide.
The second thing to which the "Bosniak side" cannot close its eyes, is the infamous Herzeg-Bosnia. It has been annulled, changed and initiated under different names, and in spite of an enormous number of signatures and agreements, auspices and mentorship of the world powers, it de facto remains and resists, and is functioning as a separate state.
All the elements that comprise a state - the military, police, currency, judiciary, education, health care, economy, and as well as things like symbols and ornaments, remains as a sign of a Herzeg Bosnia, directly supported, financed in a political, military, cultural and media manner from the Republic of Croatia. The citizens of the Federation, particularly Bosniaks, simply feel terrible passing from Neum across Stoc, Capljina, Prozor, up to Livno, or even through the heart of Bosnia - through Jajce, Zepce, Novi Travnik, and so on. They are second class citizens, suspected, segregated, degraded, mistreated. In many cities, in the supposed "democratic" Federation, they are simply not welcome.
There are though those on the "Bosniak side" who are not adverse to the request coming from the "Croatian side" for the formation of new Croatian municipalities. This due to the fact that many recently risen local bosses are happy only to control their own national herd. They would also like, as a parallel move, to get their "own" national municipalities, for example in Prozor, Livno, Mostar, Stoc, Capljina or Brcko and so on.
What is it, on the other hand, what the "Croatian side" objects to the Bosniak one ? First, that the Muslims are attempting, through the Federation to establish again the national supremacy and to use their numerical majority to the goal of creating a "unitary" state. The objections usually go in the direction of fierce objections that the "Muslims" do not understand or do not want to accept the reality, and that is that there is no more old BiH, nor could it return, that they read and accept the Dayton constitution only in the measure that it enables them to hold on to the remains of central power, strong army, police, financial centers of power.
Secondly, that in their backing of the Federation, particularly concerning the return of the refugees, the operation of joint institutions of authority, the establishment of joint army and police and so on, they are not sincere and that in general they are seeking for themselves what they are not giving to the other. There, particular political use is being made of the question of the return of Croats to Bugojno, Vares, Travnik, Jablanica, as well as the position of Croats in Sarajevo, left bank in Mostar, Tuzla and its surroundings.
Due to the feeling, or factual threat, parity is saught in everything, even if that was not in accordance with the Constitution, and previously achieved agreements.
Thirdly, and probably politically most utilized argument is an almost phobic fear that an attempt is being made, in the guise of the Federation and the demands for an integral an internationally recognized BiH state, and behind all the drapes of democracy, to install some Muslim state, which corresponds in its theoretical support on Islamic Fundamentalism.
Besides the fact that there is a general confusion and amateurism in the use of these terms, but the Croatian media in BiH and Croatia itself, almost syncrously heat up this thesis, which already, particularly by the Croatian president Tudjman, is taking the forms of open xenophobia. It is exactly in recent days, concerning the car bomb in Mostar the official Croatian media are racing each other who will stimulate more accusations, doubts and similar.
Source: Sarajevo weekly "Svijet" October 5, 1997
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