ZAGREB, 16 May 2022 - No agreement on the reform of electoral legislation in Bosnia and Herzegovina is possible at this moment, and talks should continue only after the general election in October, the leader of the ruling Bosniak SDA party, Bakir Izetbegović, said on Sunday.

"There is no legal space to amend the electoral law because the Central Electoral Commission called the election ten days ago. And also, we are too far off from an agreement," Izetbegović said in an interview with the Bosnian Faktor news website.

He said that negotiations on the electoral reform had fallen through because the leadership of the Bosnian Croat HDZ BiH party had "too ambitious plans" about amendments that should be adopted. He added that the HDZ BiH's strategy was wrong because it was based on the blockade of the Bosniak-Croat Federation entity, cooperation with Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik and pressure on the SDA and Bosniaks.

Commenting on the announcement that a senior EU official would come to Sarajevo this month when the question of the electoral reform could be raised again, Izetbegović said that nothing would come of it and that he was certain that there would be no pressure to reach an agreement before the 2 October election.

"We have had some preparatory meetings with their advisers which clearly showed this approach and priorities," the SDA leader said. He pointed out that talks with EU officials would focus solely on the implementation of reforms and obstacles on the path to EU membership candidate status.

Izetbegović said that the electoral reform would be discussed "as soon as a new post-election coalition is formed."

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ZAGREB, 5 April 2022 - Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković on Tuesday called on Croat and Bosniak parties in Bosnia and Herzegovina to reach an agreement on electoral reform so that all citizens and peoples in the country can be legitimately represented.

Croatia does not want the crisis due to changes to BiH's election law to be prolonged, he said at the opening of the 2022 International Economic Fair in Mostar, BiH.

"We appeal in particular to the leaders of the Bosniak and Croat parties to renew trust, to renew their alliance so that the election law can be changed."

We have shown willingness at the highest EU level to organise a continuation of the talks, Plenković said, adding that Croatia is doing that as a well-meaning friend which wants to help BiH to be functional.

"That's why it's important that BiH functions well, that a step forward is made with the support of the international community, and that the Croats are legitimately represented in state and Federation institutions."

Plenković said he initiated a debate on BiH at the European Council, which adopted conclusions to encourage an electoral reform agreement. That would be a way for BiH to continue its European journey, he added.

"That's the appeal of a friend, a country which wants BiH to get EU (membership candidate) status as soon as possible and step up its European journey."

Croatia is the second biggest investor in BiH and its main trade partner.

Plenković said the strengthening of infrastructure and economic ties was very important. He called for building a southern Croatia-BiH gas interconnection so that BiH can have diversified supply.

Hungarian FM criticises EU

Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto, speaking at the opening of the fair as the representative of the partner country, strongly criticised Brussels over the slow EU integration of Western Balkan countries.

He said Brussels was making a strategic mistake and that such conduct was damaging to regional security. He pushed for Serbia's EU accession and giving BiH candidate status.

Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabić said any regional instability affected every Western Balkan country. "Instability is bad for everyone. It's necessary to build bridges of cooperation and to build a more progressive region."

The International Economic Fair Mostar is taking place after a two-year break due to COVID. It brought together 750 exhibitors from some 20 countries.

In Mostar, Plenković met with the leadership of the HDZ BiH party and is to meet the leadership of the Croatian National Assembly, an organisation of Croat political parties in BiH.

ZAGREB, 23 March 2022 - The Croat parliamentary group in the House of Peoples of the Parliament of the BiH Federation entity on Wednesday harshly condemned death threats sent to HDZ BiH officials Dragan Čović and Ivo Tadić, calling for an urgent investigation and punishment of those responsible.

The death threats against Čović and Tadić, who is at the helm of the HDZ branch in Zenica-Doboj Canton and is also the whip for the Croat parliamentary group in the House of Peoples of the BiH Federation Parliament, were published on Tuesday in a Facebook post.

The Croat caucus underscored that the police and judicial bodies need to treat this as a very serious case because Tadić was exposed to similar threats in 2011, when an explosive device was planted in his car.

The HDZ BiH believes the threats are due to the failed negotiations on election reform. After the last round of negotiations failed, Čović and the leader of the Bosniak Party of Democratic Action (SDA), Bakir Izetbegović, exchanged some sharp accusations, blaming each other for the blockade and obstruction of the reform.

Čović told reporters on Tuesday that he had been exposed to threats for years, adding that he would not be intimidated.

For more, check out our dedicated politics section.