Dodik and Čović keep their alliance intact for Bosnia’s coalition talks
Milorad Dodik and Dragan Čović reaffirmed their alliance after meeting in Banja Luka, saying their parties would not join a new coalition without each other. Negotiations follow Bosnia and Herzegovina’s general election on 4 October. Čović renewed his demand for election-law changes; Dodik set limits on possible partners and sought changes to decisions imposed by international representatives.
Geopolitics··Morning
Two party leaders preserve their governing partnership
Milorad Dodik and Dragan Čović reaffirmed their political alliance after party delegations met on 12 October in Banja Luka, a city in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Dodik leads the Alliance of Independent Social Democrats, or SNSD; Čović heads the Croatian Democratic Union of Bosnia and Herzegovina, or HDZ BiH. They said neither party would enter a new governing coalition without the other. Their meeting followed the general election on 4 October, as negotiations began over governments at state and entity levels. Both leaders portrayed their parties as indispensable to forming the administration, expressing their political assessment of the talks.[1], [2]
Bosniak partners remain part of the negotiations
Both leaders said they were prepared to negotiate with Bosniak political representatives. Čović said a third partner would be invited to discuss the state-level executive when political conditions allowed. He confirmed meeting Social Democratic Party leader Nermin Nikšić and Bosniak party SDA leader Bakir Izetbegović the previous week. He said Bosniak representatives should identify a majority among themselves. Dodik retained the right to reject possible partners and singled out the Democratic Front, arguing that its political positions excluded it. Participation by the Social Democratic Party remained uncertain in his account. No other coalition partner was agreed publicly.[1], [2]
Election-law changes feature in Čović’s demands
Čović renewed his demand for changes to the Election Law, arguing that one constituent people should not choose another people’s representatives. He identified peace, stability, constitutional equality and progress toward European Union membership as priorities. Dodik said political relations should rest on the Dayton Peace Agreement and called for review of international High Representatives’ decisions that lacked subsequent parliamentary approval. He also sought changes concerning the Constitutional Court and reduced powers for the state-level Court and Prosecutor’s Office. Čović suggested the new Presidency could be constituted around mid-November, while formation of the houses of peoples could take months. These remain negotiating demands and expectations.[1], [2]
Dodik said laws should be adopted within Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Parliamentary Assembly. He stated that he did not oppose the path to European Union membership, but objected to reforms he considered an abuse of that process. He also ruled out partnering with politicians he believed had acted against Republika Srpska, one of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s entities. Čović said the distribution of delegates in the Parliamentary Assembly’s House of Peoples would affect formation of the state-level administration.[1]
