Tamir Waser, Principal Deputy to High Representative Valentin Inzko, although in office only since 21 October, speaks very openly for „Dnevni Avaz“ pointing at a series of current issues which slow down progress of this country.
Former Head of Political Department of the American Embassy in Sarajevo, commenting on the requests for resolution to the problems of the children from Konjević Polje, says that international community representatives work on this intensively.
„I really sympathize with these people. It is bad for this country when the children are not in school. Our focus, primarily, is on the children returning to school. But, there is a forum for coordinating education issues and it contains representatives of various levels of government and they should meet much more frequently. But, instead, all we get from them is finger-pointing and statements that this is not their fault. At the end of the whole story, the losers are the children.”
Dnevni avaz: You have come to a leading position in the OHR practically at a time when this institution is said to be clinically dead. One has an impression that the OHR no longer has a mandate to make concrete moves and that it has assumed an observer’s role. Your comment?
Tamir Waser: I refute such claims! I think there are a number of examples where, in the past, we played a role of someone who lifts blockages. We had a key role in the representatives of the HoR of the Federation Parliament adopting an authentic interpretation on the Law on Securities of the F BiH. If that had not taken place, the impact on the economy would have been terrible. We hope that the HoP will complete this job. We played a key role in connection with the appointments of judges of the Constitutional Court of the F BiH. Many would want us to work instead of them, but this is not going to happen, because it is their responsibility and the citizens elected them for that.
Dnevni avaz: Is there any progress in the processing of crime and corruption?
Tamir Waser: There is some progress. We must enable the police, investigators and prosecutors to work, to issue indictments. But, we must bear in mind that you can never eradicate corruption from the system as long as the people who are steeped in corruption still operate in the system.
Dnevni avaz: No, one has an impression that they are, in a way, protected from the processing and investigations…
Tamir Waser: I have an impression that there is a problem in the system, because when there are indications that something happened, no further steps are taken. This issue of impunity is a special problem for BiH.
Dnevni avaz: Is a final solution for Mostar in sight?
Tamir Waser: The PIC Steering Board gave its support, in May, to the framework for agreement between the parties in Mostar. The two parties with the largest number of mandates in the City Council still do not want to join this framework document. It is still a good document. When they decide to join the document, the OHR is here to continue with the process until the final agreement. We cannot accept a divided Mostar. The main problem is that the citizens are denied the right to vote for people to represent them.
Dnevni avaz: Do the Bonn Powers still exist?
Tamir Waser: The Bonn Powers still exist and they are confirmed by the decisions of the UN SC and PIC SB. The question is how they are used. As I said, the problems we see today in BiH are a result of incompetence of political leaders.