The sovereignty and territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina are enshrined in the Dayton Peace Agreement and guaranteed under international law, and politicians who try to contest this are engaged in a pointless exercise, High Representative Valentin Inzko wrote in an opinion piece that appeared in Dnevni Avaz and Nezavisne Novine today.
“The Constitution makes it absolutely clear that the Republika Srpska and the Federation as two entities are parts of the sovereign state of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Moreover, the Constitution allows no possibility for either entity to secede. This is a fact not open to historical debate,” the High Representative wrote.
The High Representative underlined that, “the next elections are not going to be won and lost by empty promises of secession or cheap attempts to confront the International Community and other ethnic groups. They are going to be won and lost on the basis of who can deliver the real change the people of this country want: an end to corruption, equal access to jobs, and the hope of a dignified and better life.”
The High Representative warned that “the time of cheap tricks designed to raise tensions and to divert attention from the real challenges facing the country is over.”
“I urge citizens to use the pre-election season and the elections themselves to demand accountability from elected leaders,” he wrote. “This means an election based on issues, not fear.”
Click here for the full text of the High Representative’s article.