With the 2022 general elections just over a year away in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Platform for Progress continues to review and analyze lessons learned from its experiences during the 2018 general elections and the 2020 local elections. The president of the Platform, Mirsad Hadžkadić, says it is essential for the organization to improve its reach at the grassroots level throughout the country in order to be able to address the needs of all of its citizens. Hadžkadić also spoke to me about how they must accept the fact that there will be negative chatter in the media from dissidents within the platform from here on out and how best to address it in the coming months. We also talked about the pending deadlines for the Platform, which include making any decisions into establishing a political coalition and the announcement of candidates for the 2022 general elections. 

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The new High Representative of Bosnia and Herzegovina, William Schmidt, has indicated on more than one occasion the need for electronic voting in the country. These words bring about cautious optimism to the president of the Platform for Progress, Mirsad Hadžikadić. During his run for the presidency in 2018, Hadžikadić stressed the need for electronic voting in order to combat the inherent corruption that currently exists within the voting system. Hadžikadić hopes to be able to meet with Schmidt to outline the Platform’s stance on electronic voting and the dire need for it to become a reality. We recently spoke about what all of this could mean for the future of politics in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

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William Schmidt of Germany officially stepped into his new role as the High Representative of Bosnia and Herzegovina on August 1st. He replaces Valentin Inzko, who had held the position for the last 12 years. The High Representative is pointed by the European Union and is tasked with overseeing the 1995 Dayton Peace agreement, which brought the Bosnian war to an end. The president of the Platform for Progress, Mirsad Hadžikadič, had an opportunity to speak with both Schmidt and Inzko on Monday during an informal reception to introduce Schmidt. Mirsad indicated that he hopes to have more private and formal discussions with Schmidt in the future, to explain in more detail the vision of the Platform. Mirsad said he is encouraged though, by the fact that Schmidt has openly discussed the need for electronic voting in the country, an issue that Mirsad and the Platform have been pressing for the last three years. Mirsad, also spoke to me about an opportunity he had to revisit some of his family roots.

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The outgoing High Representative of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Valentin Inzko, has used his power to impose an amendment to the country’s criminal code to ban the denial of genocide or the glorification of war criminals. I spoke with the president of the Platform for Progress, Mirsad Hadžikadić, about the specifics of the amendment and what it could mean for the country moving forward. We also spoke about the Platform’s to schedule more town hall meetings in an effort to engage and hear the concerns of citizens across the country, as it prepares strategies for the 2022 general elections. 

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For the third time, the president of the Platform for Progress, Mirsad Hadžikadić, along with his wife Mirzeta, walked the mountainous road between Nezuk and Srebrenica. It was along that road in July of 1995, that over 8,000 Bosniak Muslim men and boys were massacred by Serbian troops during the Bosnian War. For 17 years, thousands have gathered each year from around the world to walk the “road of death”, and to pay tribute to those who lost their lives. I recently spoke with Mirsad as he spoke of the long and grueling walk of nearly 62 miles and the stories of those who once again have touched his heart and soul.

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Though internal issues continue to dominate much of the time of Platform for Progress president, Mirsad Hadžikadić, looking ahead to the 2022 general elections must still be addressed. During our recent conversation, Mirsad spoke of efforts to assemble a think tank of business leaders and key influencers, who will be tasked with identifying key issues that must be addressed for the betterment of the country as a whole. He says he can’t claim to be the first with this idea but certainly believes the Platform is the most committed, of any, in an attempt to awaken the general public of the urgent need for change.

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Addressing internal issues that have plagued the Platform for Progress for the last several months, continues to take valuable time away from the planning and preparations for the 2022 general elections. A disciplinary review board has been established to determine what if anything should be done to those individuals who have been identified as plants who are trying to dismantle the Platform. When we recently spoke, the president of the Platform for Progress, Mirsad Hadžikadić, shared the latest in regards to the internal rumblings and also spoke about the resumption of the town hall meetings, and the significance of the appointment of a new High Representative to Bosnia and Herzegovina. A position that was established as part of the Dayton Peace Accords that brought an end to the war in 1995.

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For the second year in a row the Platform for Progress organized a peaceful protest march which was held in Sarajevo on May 30th. Unlike last year’s event which drew close to 30,000 people, this year’s attendance was far less. I spoke with the president of the Platform, Mirsad Hadžkadić, who elaborated on what made this years’ event different than the previous and some of his key takeaways.

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For the second year in a row, the Platform for Progress is organizing another peaceful protest march in Sarajevo on May 30th. Last year’s event drew close to 30,000 participants right at the beginning of the pandemic. Facing similar restrictions due to the ongoing pandemic it’s really not known how many people will actually turn out. During my recent conversation with Platform president, Mirsad Hadžkadć, he was hesitant to predict what the numbers would be like. He also indicated there will be two other coordinated protests in Brussels and Geneva by Platform members at the same time.

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These continue to be trying times for the Platform for Progress as the internal unrest continues. During our recent conversation, the president of the Platform, Mirsad Hadžikadić, spoke about the litany of events that have occurred over the course of the last couple of weeks. This had included efforts by a rogue group within the Platform to derail the recent convention that was intended to approve a new set of bylaws, to dealing with misinformation and lies that are continually being leaked to the press. In all, it is presenting a huge distraction during a time when much of the focus should be on the 2022 presidential elections.

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