October 10, 2022
Bosnia Update: Corruption; Electoral Campaigning; the October 2 Elections; A Decree by HR Schmidt
Bosnia-Herzegovina’s national elections took place on Sunday, October 2, and that evening, after the polls were closed but before the election’s results were announced, High Representative Christian Schmidt imposed a set of laws that adjusted electoral procedures in the Federation. They also streamlined the process of post-election governmental formation, with a view to preventing political manipulation and stalling.
I’ll start with some updates on corruption which, in my opinion illustrate why most people run for office in Bosnia, and then something about how one of them runs for office.
Corruption
It may sound a little naïve, but there are probably a few politicians who want power because they are Bosnian patriots and they want to make their country a better place. There are plenty of patriots in Bosnia, but most of them are too honest to want to run for office. Most politicians just want to enrich themselves in various ways. This also describes judges and prosecutors. The opportunities for graft are plentiful, particularly in that realm where mafia operations and political power overlap…
Read More

To respond to this blog, click here to e-mail me

September 12, 2022
Overview; Electoral reform (again); Israel and Bosnia; “Crims in charge;” Elections
Bosnia-Herzegovina’s national elections are approaching. The campaign period started on September 2—that is, if you don’t count the entire period of politicking since the last elections two years ago. Citizens in and out of the country will vote for their parliamentary representatives and various presidents and vice presidents of cantons, entities, and the state, all up and down the ticket. What follows in this blog entry is context for the October 2 elections: an overview of conditions in the country; some discussion of ongoing electoral law controversies, and a small assortment of antics on the part of various politicians.
In an interview in early August, activist Edin Ramulić of Prijedor criticized anti-democratic practices on the part of politicians and the media that they control, saying, “In recent years we are more and more subject to the damaging influence from the larger centers, Belgrade, Banja Luka, but also Sarajevo. There are attempts to destroy good relationships between people and to nullify all the positive practices that we have established in confronting past [injustices]. One such group of extremists from Sarajevo is doing work identical to those on the other side. On the whole the media, sympathetic to those groups, more eagerly provide space to nationalist outbursts by politicians than to examples of good relations among people of different identities. The media thus give the main power to the nationalists, and in the worst case, to the masters of war. That is the way it was in the 1990s.”…
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July 31, 2022
Bosnia update: Fascism; Trends; A note about corruption; Electoral reform; Srebrenica, Prijedor, and more.
 I’m going to stand by two statements from my last blog entry (June 19, 2022): 1, fascism is not dead, and 2, There’s nothing new in Bosnia-Herzegovina, but long-term trends that could lead to changes continue to develop. Items from this entry will illustrate these points anew. I will discuss expressions of fascism in Bosnia; the Srebrenica and Prijedor anniversaries; the problem of accession to the EU, and recent turmoil over electoral reform.
But first, here’s a vignette that eloquently depicts the essence of Bosnia’s dysfunction. Just at the end of last week (July 29, 2022) the first-instance corruption trial of several members of the Bosniak nationalist party, SDA, ended. Since before the 1990s war, the SDA, founded by Alija Izetbegović and others, has been by far the most popular political party among Bosniaks. Amir Zukić was general secretary of this party for over a decade, and Asim Sarajlić was a young war hero who went on to become a political scientist, vice president of the SDA and, for over ten years, a delegate to the state-level House of Representatives…
Read More

June 19, 2022
Bosnia update: “Nothing happens in Bosnia”; Funding the elections; Bosnia and Croatia; Happenings in Prijedor; Fascism on May 9th.

During the last month or so, Bosnia-Herzegovina has seen a continuation of a variety of simmering problems, with one or two solutions, but no real progress.
A friend said to me the other day, “Nothing happens in Bosnia.” This sounds odd given that, when observing the country day to day at the granular level, it seems that things are always about to explode. Thinking back to last fall, there were ongoing, dire predictions of war. As I wrote then, you can never rule out war. But war did not break out this spring, when it could have, and it doesn’t look likely at this point.
There again, during the now waning season there have been predictions of a boycott of the upcoming elections, with many people convinced they would not take place. That outcome has now been circumvented.
And the ongoing move toward secession of the Serb-controlled entity has stalled, for the moment, notwithstanding statements that the secession is already underway…
This is not to say that nothing is really happening in Bosnia, but…
Read More

April 30, 2022
Bosnia update: Sanctions, creeping secession, Ukraine war, electoral machinations

In the spring of 2022 Bosnia-Herzegovina, with its permanently corrupt leadership, its beleaguered citizens, and its contending international officials of all sorts, bumps along toward an uncertain future. The secessionists keep on with their divisive work. Ordinary people are re-traumatized by the Ukraine war. The exodus continues. Meanwhile, authoritarian leaders in the vicinity of Bosnia, eager to keep Bosnia destabilized, have new wind in their sails, but some Western leaders attempt to restrain these trends.
The strongest move towards fascism in Europe today is, of course, the Russian attempt to obliterate Ukraine. Given this, the Ukrainian resistance is on the front line in pushing back against Russia, and this resistance is therefore critical to the survival of whatever passes for democracy and freedom in the rest of Europe.
This is pertinent to Bosnia-Herzegovina’s near future…
Read More

October 10, 2022
Bosnia Update: Corruption; Electoral Campaigning; the October 2 Elections; A Decree by HR Schmidt
Bosnia-Herzegovina’s national elections took place on Sunday, October 2, and that evening, after the polls were closed but before the election’s results were announced, High Representative Christian Schmidt imposed a set of laws that adjusted electoral procedures in the Federation. They also streamlined the process of post-election governmental formation, with a view to preventing political manipulation and stalling.
I’ll start with some updates on corruption which, in my opinion illustrate why most people run for office in Bosnia, and then something about how one of them runs for office.
Corruption
It may sound a little naïve, but there are probably a few politicians who want power because they are Bosnian patriots and they want to make their country a better place. There are plenty of patriots in Bosnia, but most of them are too honest to want to run for office. Most politicians just want to enrich themselves in various ways. This also describes judges and prosecutors. The opportunities for graft are plentiful, particularly in that realm where mafia operations and political power overlap…
Read More

To respond to this blog, click here to e-mail me

September 12, 2022
Overview; Electoral reform (again); Israel and Bosnia; “Crims in charge;” Elections
Bosnia-Herzegovina’s national elections are approaching. The campaign period started on September 2—that is, if you don’t count the entire period of politicking since the last elections two years ago. Citizens in and out of the country will vote for their parliamentary representatives and various presidents and vice presidents of cantons, entities, and the state, all up and down the ticket. What follows in this blog entry is context for the October 2 elections: an overview of conditions in the country; some discussion of ongoing electoral law controversies, and a small assortment of antics on the part of various politicians.
In an interview in early August, activist Edin Ramulić of Prijedor criticized anti-democratic practices on the part of politicians and the media that they control, saying, “In recent years we are more and more subject to the damaging influence from the larger centers, Belgrade, Banja Luka, but also Sarajevo. There are attempts to destroy good relationships between people and to nullify all the positive practices that we have established in confronting past [injustices]. One such group of extremists from Sarajevo is doing work identical to those on the other side. On the whole the media, sympathetic to those groups, more eagerly provide space to nationalist outbursts by politicians than to examples of good relations among people of different identities. The media thus give the main power to the nationalists, and in the worst case, to the masters of war. That is the way it was in the 1990s.”…
Read More

July 31, 2022
Bosnia update: Fascism; Trends; A note about corruption; Electoral reform; Srebrenica, Prijedor, and more.
 I’m going to stand by two statements from my last blog entry (June 19, 2022): 1, fascism is not dead, and 2, There’s nothing new in Bosnia-Herzegovina, but long-term trends that could lead to changes continue to develop. Items from this entry will illustrate these points anew. I will discuss expressions of fascism in Bosnia; the Srebrenica and Prijedor anniversaries; the problem of accession to the EU, and recent turmoil over electoral reform.
But first, here’s a vignette that eloquently depicts the essence of Bosnia’s dysfunction. Just at the end of last week (July 29, 2022) the first-instance corruption trial of several members of the Bosniak nationalist party, SDA, ended. Since before the 1990s war, the SDA, founded by Alija Izetbegović and others, has been by far the most popular political party among Bosniaks. Amir Zukić was general secretary of this party for over a decade, and Asim Sarajlić was a young war hero who went on to become a political scientist, vice president of the SDA and, for over ten years, a delegate to the state-level House of Representatives…
Read More

June 19, 2022
Bosnia update: “Nothing happens in Bosnia”; Funding the elections; Bosnia and Croatia; Happenings in Prijedor; Fascism on May 9th.

During the last month or so, Bosnia-Herzegovina has seen a continuation of a variety of simmering problems, with one or two solutions, but no real progress.
A friend said to me the other day, “Nothing happens in Bosnia.” This sounds odd given that, when observing the country day to day at the granular level, it seems that things are always about to explode. Thinking back to last fall, there were ongoing, dire predictions of war. As I wrote then, you can never rule out war. But war did not break out this spring, when it could have, and it doesn’t look likely at this point.
There again, during the now waning season there have been predictions of a boycott of the upcoming elections, with many people convinced they would not take place. That outcome has now been circumvented.
And the ongoing move toward secession of the Serb-controlled entity has stalled, for the moment, notwithstanding statements that the secession is already underway…
This is not to say that nothing is really happening in Bosnia, but…
Read More

April 30, 2022
Bosnia update: Sanctions, creeping secession, Ukraine war, electoral machinations

In the spring of 2022 Bosnia-Herzegovina, with its permanently corrupt leadership, its beleaguered citizens, and its contending international officials of all sorts, bumps along toward an uncertain future. The secessionists keep on with their divisive work. Ordinary people are re-traumatized by the Ukraine war. The exodus continues. Meanwhile, authoritarian leaders in the vicinity of Bosnia, eager to keep Bosnia destabilized, have new wind in their sails, but some Western leaders attempt to restrain these trends.
The strongest move towards fascism in Europe today is, of course, the Russian attempt to obliterate Ukraine. Given this, the Ukrainian resistance is on the front line in pushing back against Russia, and this resistance is therefore critical to the survival of whatever passes for democracy and freedom in the rest of Europe.
This is pertinent to Bosnia-Herzegovina’s near future…
Read More