Dragan Čović, the President of the Croatian Democratic Union of Bosnia and Herzegovina (HDZ BiH), expressed his opposition today in Mostar to the reformation of the government at the BiH level unless there is a well-defined majority within the BiH parliament.

“The rules of the game must be distinctly outlined and followed. A government coup is unnecessary if our objectives are unclear and we lack a clear majority,” Čović remarked to reporters following a meeting of the expanded HDZ BiH Presidency.

He pointed out that his primary responsibilities include safeguarding the interests of Croats in BiH, addressing the security situation, and advancing the country’s European integration path.

Čović mentioned that for the HDZ BiH, collaboration is open to everyone, including those designated as the opposition at the state level. “I urge them to set aside the politics of trying to outsmart each other. Nowadays, it’s challenging to discern between the government and the opposition,” he assessed.

Furthermore, he noted that the current government at the state level (comprising the Troika, HDZ BiH, and SNSD) was established with a “narrow majority” in the BiH parliament, aided by representatives from the international community.

He revealed that there are ongoing calls for the removal of SNSD and Troika officials in the state government, with expectations of increased demands in the future.

Čović acknowledged the “dissatisfaction” within the political climate but asserted that “we cannot allow everything to come to a standstill.” He added that he recently spoke with the President of Republika Srpska (RS) Milorad Dodik and representatives from the “Troika” about ensuring the government can function effectively. He emphasized that achieving this would be “challenging.”

“It’s easy to remove someone if we have clarity on our reasons and plans moving forward. Hence, we stood firmly against any dismissals. We support every partner. The ongoing processes could potentially hinder the functioning of the government; one must question who benefits from such a situation,” the HDZ BiH leader stated.

Čović reiterated that he and the HDZ are not the origins of the current political crisis in BiH, stressing that other government partners need to bear their share of responsibility.

Additionally, he noted that he had not met with Bakir Izetbegović, the leader of the Party of Democratic Action (SDA), which serves as the opposition in both the Federation of BiH and at the state level.

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