The newly elected president of the Justice and Reconciliation Party (SPP) Seid Hadzic he assessed that Bosniaks are 'literally' fighting for their biological survival in many parts of Montenegro and that in such a situation the parties representing that people have no right to look at things through narrow party or personal interest.
Hadžić said this in an interview with "Vijesta", answering the question of how the goals of the SPP differ from the politics led by the Bosniak Party, which also represents the interests of the Bosniak people.
"I hope that the leaders of that party will understand this quickly, and until they do, we will take part of the responsibility already after the local elections in October," said Hadžić.
He pointed out that the "Black on White" coalition, in which they participated in the parliamentary elections in 2020, led to the change of government, which was an urgent need of the state, but that it failed to do more than that.
At the end of July, you were elected as the president of the Party of Justice and Reconciliation, succeeding the long-time president of the party, Hazbija Kalac. What will be your priorities as the new leader of the party?
Priorities, unfortunately, are determined by given circumstances in society. Stopping emigration along with everything that accompanies that process - starting investments, building infrastructure, fixing the situation in local self-governments and the like. Bearing in mind the numerous indicators of the inferior position of Bosniaks, but also of all other peoples in the Sandžak-North region, as well as in other parts of the country, the discrimination we are exposed to in state institutions, from the police to schools, our priorities are, unfortunately, already defined, and that is a fight for basic civil rights and I would say biological survival. The struggle to save the young is crucial because if we don't save them, everything else is in vain, an empty shell. It is time for the state, ie. the institutions of this country accept Bosniaks as equal citizens, as their citizens and as one of the pillars of Montenegro's independence. They are trying to make us hate Montenegro, insinuate that we are against it, and they are doing everything to displace us from our age-old hearths and kill the will to live. They will not succeed in that, Montenegro is our house in which we have built our lives, nation, faith and everything that defines and characterizes us.
How different are the goals of the SPP from the politics led by the Bosniak Party, which also represents the interests of the Bosniak people? Are you happy with the way BS is doing it?
It's a matter of consistency. Therefore, the question arises as to who represents the interests of the people, and who has more or less dragged the party's policy towards personal or narrow party interests. And they are no more (and no less) different than the majority of political entities in Montenegro, which are also connected to numerous affairs. What is specific about BS is that they appeal to the people who have no time for another term of failed politics. Bosniaks are literally fighting for their biological survival in many parts of Montenegro, and in such a situation, the parties that represent that people have no right to look at things through narrow party or personal interest. I hope that the leaders of that party will understand this quickly, and until they do, we will take part of the responsibility already after the local elections in October. Bosniaks have no time for new experiments or delusions. They need a clear policy with clear positions, and SPP certainly has that. We demand all the rights that other nations have for us. We from SPP cannot be bought, blackmailed, scared, or isolated. The people recognize this more and more and that is why our membership and support on a daily basis is growing.
Your party is part of the "Black on White" platform (GP URA, CIVIS, Bokeški Forum and independent intellectuals) which jointly participated in the 2020 parliamentary elections. In the previous period, there were indications that SPP was not satisfied with the political influence it has in that alliance. What is the situation now?
The SPP contributed to a good extent, and I think crucially, to the "Black on White" coalition getting a fourth member of parliament, which will later turn out to be decisive in the formation of the majority. It was also a chance to start a new, better, more meaningful and productive chapter in the relations between the authorities and the Bosniak people in Montenegro. The previous relationship was characterized by strict control over the political consciousness of Bosniaks, diverting the focus from real problems, mass exodus, but also providing safe and cheap votes in elections.
We believed that with the constituents of our coalition, the time had finally come to reset those relations and take a more honest and just path, the path of justice, reconciliation and progress... However, what did we get in the end? Almost a complete blockade from the entire winning majority, including GP URA. Statements that the doors of institutions were open to Bosniaks were a lie, and hence our dissatisfaction. They had anti-regime, honorable, honest and professional Bosniaks in the SPP, but the previous agreements were abandoned and the barometers began to measure values incorrectly. They removed Bosniaks from institutions including ordinary workplaces. Did the CnB parliamentary group raise its voice against it - no, but they could.
The only chance we got - the Administration for Cooperation with the Diaspora, which before our takeover was considered the Folklore Administration, we raised in a very short time to the level of a ministry. Just one piece of information - for less than four months of leadership, we organized the "Diaspora Days" event at a level that had never been held before, as part of which we organized the largest business gathering in 2021 - the Diaspora Business Forum, which was held in Bijelo Polje with 150 participants, some of whom were also very important foreign investors. With a completely different approach to the diaspora, which became a strategic partner of the state from a mere folklore-voting machine. It wasn't even a recommendation to continue the started projects, but they assigned the management to others without explanation.
And to conclude, the "Black on White" coalition at the very beginning raised hope for a new, third, path that Montenegro desperately needs. A path that leads far away from any extreme and a path that should have dealt with the healing of Montenegro. After the change of government, the clean and healthy idea was lost every day. In principle, the coalition led to the change of government, which was the urgent need of our country, but it failed to do more than that.
How do you comment on the work of the Government of Dritan Abazović in the previous 100 days? Did that government "deserve" to be voted no-confidence on August 19, or should it continue to work?
Were we expecting a magic wand that would solve everything in a few months - no. Did we expect the continuation of the stepmotherly relationship of official Podgorica towards Bosniaks and towards the north of the country - again no. Almost all investments in the north have been stopped, our cities are blocked by traffic, from Pljevlja to Rožaj. With a smile, they abolished the faculty in Bijelo Polje under the shameful excuse that there is no money for it. There is no funding for Lake Plav, but there is funding for the bridge in Ulcinj. No one mentions the ski resort in Rožaje until the funds are found for the cable car in Kotor. And so on... So that they told us recently that each municipality delegates one million euro project. I understand that they have no empathy or understanding, and obviously no plans for these parts, but at least they don't have to humiliate us. At least that. We can see that on the political scene, from that aspect, only the sets have been replaced, and in the matter of the municipality of Tuzi, i.e. The "Karabuško Polje" MU, where the Government and the Ministry of Education persistently obstruct the construction of a school, and for which the EU provided funds, and that is solely because Bosniaks predominantly live there. What should we talk about next? Simple ignoring, and problems are buried with affairs. Bosniaks are still prohibited from leadership positions in the police. Neo-fascism and nationalism are rampant everywhere with impunity. Should we applaud such a government?
Not long after the election as the first man of the party, you said that the SPP will neither forget nor remain silent about the war crimes committed against Bosniaks in the past. Is enough work being done in Montenegro to shed light on war crimes?
Deportation of almost 200 refugees directly to death contrary to all conventions, Bukovica and a dozen killed, houses and mosques burned down, 40 bomb attacks in Pljevlja, Kaluđerski laz, arrest of Bosniak political representatives in police operation LIM 94 with brutal torture of the worst kind, all directed by the state authorities... And all this without prosecuted and convicted persons even after 25 years, and with state recognition of them in the form of compensation for material damage to the victims, which was partially paid to them. Is there any normal person-politician in Montenegro who will be satisfied with the results? I responsibly claim that numerous negative and dangerous processes are taking place in Montenegro as a result of impunity for war crimes from the XNUMXs. When such crimes are not punished, what do you expect for crime, abuse of position and resources, destroyed and looted companies, partitocracy, nepotism... a completely normal sequence of events that all these plagues only grow and become generally accepted and 'normal' among citizens. And all of this is leading us to ruin, social, cultural, economic, overall, in which it is only a matter of time before the scenario from the nineties will repeat itself. It's just a sequence of events.
The truth about Rastoder will be established in a legal court procedure
In Petnjica, a screening of the documentary film "Osman ef. Rastoder - Releasing Oblivion", and on that occasion the Higher State Prosecutor's Office in Bijelo Polje formed a case. At the same time, the initiative for the rehabilitation of the commander of the so-called Muslim militia during the Second World War, Osman Rastoder, was submitted by the Bosniaks of Luxembourg. What is your opinion about the initiative for the rehabilitation of Rastoder?
In complete contrast to the war crimes of the XNUMXs, we put the stigma that we cannot objectively and above all expertly look at historical events that still imply today's relations in society. When it comes to the screening of the film about Osman Rastoder in Petnjica, we should highlight the fact that as a society we had almost universal agreement with the screening of the film "Christmas Uprising" on the national public TV service, RTCG, which fully affirmed and rehabilitated the personality of Krsto Zrnov Popović. , who, like Osman Rastoder, was declared an enemy of the people by the same Commission. In both cases, we have neither a court process nor a court verdict for a war crime, and because of that, we should have more understanding of investigative journalism, which belongs to the documentary film about Osman Rastoder. We must objectively face all the facts that can only be proven in the professional and scientific process, due to the fact that so far we only have the position of the party commission, which adopted its positions according to political, and not according to the rules of an objective judicial process.
The initiative to rehabilitate Mullah Osman Rastoder should be understood as a desire to conduct legal proceedings in order to establish the truth about him. If the former communist authorities liquidated him without a trial, and they did, then no one in a democratic society has the right to be against the initiation of proceedings with the aim of determining whether he was guilty of something or not. No one has the right to consider any person guilty if his "guilt" has not been established by a final court verdict. Mula Osman is considered a positive personality by Bosniaks and he has never been convicted. And there is no guilt without the decision of a free and independent court.
We at SPP have a completely clear position - we condemn every crime regardless of who committed it and when. We do not support any ideological revisionism, nor is it possible, but we also do not support the blocking of the truth, whatever it may be. We do not agree to double standards or to ban investigative journalism and expert opinions on any issue and, I repeat, we condemn every crime regardless of the nationality, religion or ideology of the victim.
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