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Post-Communist Transition to Democracy and Problems in the Balkans: Case of Bosnia- Herzegovinia
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While the international community insists that a constitutional amendment is necessary for the creation of a
united multi-ethnic democracy in Bosnia, admits that it might be possible with the reconciliation among the rep-
resentatives of the three constituent people. However, the different expectations of the representatives of the three
ethnic groups make such a compromise is difficult or almost impossible.
‘
Butmir Process’
Butmir process was the latest attempt to make constitutional amendment which was initiated by the leading
American and european diplomats in 2009. The leaders of the three ethnic groups besides the diplomats are
gathered in Butmir to talk on constitutional changes. The major reason for such a meeting was the rising politi-
cal tension in Bosnia after the failure of ‘ April Package’. According to ‘Butmir Package’ the authority which was
transferred to the state level (such as the defense reform) will be provided to be included in the constitution. The
members of the Assembly of Nations will not be elected through the Parliament of the Entities but be elected
through the Assembly of Representative. The number of members of the Parliamentary Assembly would rise from
42 to 87. the Presidential election would be held in the authority of the House of Representatives and the National
Assembly. In the office of the presidency would be one president and two vice -President. As it is seen many of the
proposal are similar to the those in ‘April Package’. The Bosniac Party, SDA was the only party that support the
‘Butmir Package’ while the others rejected it immediately. With such a result, while the international community
is losing its authority, Bosnian Serb Parties began to intensify their claims for independence.
As it is seen, there is no concensus between the three ethnic/constituent peoples on the existent Constitution. The
parties within the same ethnic group have the same opinion almost about Dayton Constitution (Hayden, 2011: 3).
Bosniacs believe that the constitutional amendment is necessary. Through the constitutional amendments, they
think of the division of territory of BiH into the regions according to the cultural, historical, economic, geographi-
cal principles. Thus the Powers of the Entites will be transferred to the state and regional levels. They oppose to
the ethnicized democracy and advocates the equality of all Bosnian citizens regardless of their religon or ethnic.
But, Bosnian Croats and Bosnian Serb reject such an idea believing that this would be the advantage of Bosniacs
(Crisis Group Europe Briefing, 2009).
Serbian political parties are satisfied with the existing constitutional order and they oppose to any constitutional
amendments. Because, in the current situation in Republika Srpska, Serb Parties do not have to share political
power with other ethnic parties. Under the Dayton Constitution, the Serbian ethnic group is in the best position.
The political power in Republika Srpska is in the hands of all Serb parties in contrast to the situation in the Federa-
tion of Bosnia Herzegovina (FBiH) where Bosniac and Croatian parties are sharing the political arena. Therefore,
the political representatives of Serbs, oppose to the territorial reorganization of the BiH, because, they do not want
their federal unit to share or lose. Serb parties, at the same time oppose to the transfer of Powers in the hands of
the Republika Srpska to the state level. Because in this way, they directly undermines the authority of the state
organs of Bosnia and Herzegovina. In brief, only Serbs in the BiH is in favor of the status quo (Bieber, 2010: 3).
Croatian political representatives of Bosnia and Herzegovina are seeking to change the existing constitutional
order. As the decisions are taken by majority vote in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBiH) bodies,
Croats are in the minority in voting in comparison to Bosniacs. In 2006 and 2010 presidential election, Bosniacs
chose Croatian Zeljko Komşiç a prominent figure of SDP as Croat member of the tripartite presidency on behalf
of Croats. On the other hand, although Croats are constituent people in Republika Srpska, Serbs choose any Croat
politician they want, to the Entite’s organs on behalf of Croats. To avoid such a disadvantage situation, Croatian
parties supports the constitutional reform. They supports the transferring of the Entite’s powers to the state level
to be able to participate on equal level to share the political power at the state level. At the level of both the FBiH
and Republika Srpska Entities, the Croatian political parties are not in equal condition. Therefore, Croat Parties
demand for constitutional amendment for territorial reorganization of the BiH (BIT 2004:3).
Conclusion
The ongoing problems on the way of the creation of an unified multi-ethnic democracy in BiH has shown that,
the Dayton System, at least so far, did not correspond to the political reality in BiH. It can be said that the Dayton