BOSNIAN PRESIDENCY MEMBERS HELD RECEPTION ON OCCASION OF BOSNIAN NATIONAL DAY

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (November 22,2007) – Members of the Bosnian Presidency Haris Silajdzic and Zeljko Komsic hosted a reception in the Bosnian capital Sarajevo on the occasion of marking the 25th of November,the Bosnian National Day.Many prominent personalities from the Bosnian public, religious, cultural and political life, as well as the diplomatic chorus attended. The Bosnian President Zeljko Komsic gave a short overview of November 25th 1943, a historical date for Bosnia.

On that day, in the middle of occupied Europe, in the Bosnian town of Mrkonjic Grad, representatives of all citizens of Bosnia assembled. They passed a political decision which marked a turning point in the Bosnian history and which represents the basis of a modern and democratic Bosnia.

The State Anti-Fascist Council of People's Liberation of Bosnia (ZAVNOBiH) was a session of antifascists from Bosnia from all citizens of Bosnia, Komsic said.

The Bosnian State Anti-Fascist Council of People's Liberation (ZAVNOBIH - (Bosnian: Zemaljsko Antifašističko Vijeće Narodnog Oslobođenja Bosne i Hercegovine) was formed in November 1943.

President Komsic warned that today there are certain political forces in Bosnia which want to eliminate antifascism from the Bosnian history and forget the ZAVNOBIH principles.

The Bosnian President Zeljko Komsic is of the opinion that the negation of ZAVNOBiH and its principles; principles which enable the equality of all the citizens of Bosnia in the whole of its territory is the negation of existence of Bosnia as a state. That is also a negation of the universal democratic principles which states that all the people are equal, regardless of religious or political determination,he said.

President Komsic commented the already-common refusal to mark November 25 in certain parts of the country. He emphasized that the day of signing the Dayton Agreement is an important date in the Bosnian history and nobody should and can deny it.

However, the ZAVNOBIH day is untouchable and it is the only Bosnian National Day there is,President Komsic said.

”People who negate this fact should be aware that they negate the constitutiveness principle which is the same for all the peoples of the country, wherever they live. In that way, by calling upon the national interests of their people, they are making a permanent damage to the people, for they are denying them their rights which should be the same for all. That has become a common practice”, President Komsic said.

The Bosnian President said that the principle according to which certain parts of Bosnia are actually a war game of nations, parties and individuals is fascism.

Bosnia is our country, President Komsic said in the end.

“This country’s history reaches back hundreds of years. This country’s history teaches us that we should live, naturally, with one another, not one next another”.

A member of the Bosnian Presidency Haris silajdzic expressed regrets that the political representatives who do not recognize this day as a holiday did not attend the reception.

They think that the Bosnian history begins after Dayton. “Dayton stopped the war and only confirmed the already-existent statehood and sovereignty of Bosnia. The first act of the Dayton Agreement states that Bosnia ‘continues its legal existence in accordance to the international law”, Bosnian Presidency member Silajdzic emphasized.

Silajdzic also talked about the upcoming obligations of Bosnia, which foresee the Dayton Agreement amendments. By that time, the Dayton Agreement will be implemented accordingly. There are also numerous economic programs which should be implemented rather hastily,he said.

Silajdzic is of the opinion that on that road, Bosnia needs the help of the International Community. That is why the the Office of the International Community's High Representative in Bosnia (OHR) should continue to exist Silajdzic said.

He also commented the creation of political crisis coming form the genocidal Serbia.

”I would like to use the opportunity and clearly emphasize that this is not 1992. I would like to emphasize that the radical forces from Belgrade will not this time turn their ideas into actions and that the time has come for Serbia to begin solving its problems and to fulfil several international obligations towards Bosnia”, Bosnian Presidency member Haris silajdzic said.

Silajdzic stated his conviction that the International Community will double its efforts to stop the import of fabricated political crisis to Bosnia, especially for the purpose of protecting the returnees who live in the genocidal Serbian creature in Bosnia (RS).

Silajdzic also said that he is optimistic related to today's meeting of Bosnia's major political parties’ representatives.