Protests in Sarajevo
Elvis Bajramovic has been assistant in a European Union Twinning dedicated to strenthen administrative capacity of the ministry of transports of Bosnia and Herzegovina in order to draft strategies and set up projects in the frame of pre accession process.
Her is his testimony about the present situation in the country.
Bosnia has been experiencing massive anti-government protests for the past two weeks due to the high unemployment rate, poverty and corruption. Demonstrations started in the city of Tuzla in northern Bosnia where workers of some privatized companies claimed their rights for health care, salaries and privatization review. Many of the companies, one successful in Yugoslavia, were privatized in a suspicious way bringing them to closure or massive sale of their facilities for small amount of money. During the first day of demonstration, nobody from the government wanted to address those issues and rejected to talk to the protesters. That led protests into violence that spread across the Federation of Bosnia. People from all major cities started supporting the workers from Tuzla. Fire was set to government buildings and the building of the BiH Presidency was partially burnt. Jobless rate is very high, around 50 percent. People are tired of political manipulation and ethnic division that brought the country to the economic and social catastrophy. Unfortunately some politicians in the country use the protests to deepen the division in the country, blaming each other for the problems. Even the country's way towards the EU is endangered. There is also a division among protestants regarding the violence, supported by ones and opposed by others.
The country was devastated during the war in the beginning of 90s and begun its recovery with help of the international community. Local politicians, instead of working for the better future of the country, have continued with their quarrels deepening ethnic division that brought the country on the verge of another conflict.
The Dayton agreement aiming to stop the war has made Bosnia totally dysfunctional. The country is composed by two entities, the Republic of Srpska and The Federation of BiH. The Federation has 10 cantons, 10 governments, hundreds of ministers and 11 prime ministers. This model is unsustainable and led the country into economic collapse.
More than 75 percent of young people want to leave the country.
Elvis Bajramovic was born on 1982 in Mostar. After studies in Oneida Baptist Institute (USA) and in the University of Sarajevo, (master in French litterature) he became journalist at the press agency ONASA (Sarajevo) and at the TV Dnevni Avaz. In 2010 he was selected as twinning assistant to Jean-Claude Ebel, French Resident Twinning Advisor in a European Union programme devoted to strengthen the administrative capacity of the ministry of transports of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Elvis Bajramovic has been assistant in a European Union Twinning dedicated to strenthen administrative capacity of the ministry of transports of Bosnia and Herzegovina in order to draft strategies and set up projects in the frame of pre accession process.
Her is his testimony about the present situation in the country.
Bosnia has been experiencing massive anti-government protests for the past two weeks due to the high unemployment rate, poverty and corruption. Demonstrations started in the city of Tuzla in northern Bosnia where workers of some privatized companies claimed their rights for health care, salaries and privatization review. Many of the companies, one successful in Yugoslavia, were privatized in a suspicious way bringing them to closure or massive sale of their facilities for small amount of money. During the first day of demonstration, nobody from the government wanted to address those issues and rejected to talk to the protesters. That led protests into violence that spread across the Federation of Bosnia. People from all major cities started supporting the workers from Tuzla. Fire was set to government buildings and the building of the BiH Presidency was partially burnt. Jobless rate is very high, around 50 percent. People are tired of political manipulation and ethnic division that brought the country to the economic and social catastrophy. Unfortunately some politicians in the country use the protests to deepen the division in the country, blaming each other for the problems. Even the country's way towards the EU is endangered. There is also a division among protestants regarding the violence, supported by ones and opposed by others.
The country was devastated during the war in the beginning of 90s and begun its recovery with help of the international community. Local politicians, instead of working for the better future of the country, have continued with their quarrels deepening ethnic division that brought the country on the verge of another conflict.
The Dayton agreement aiming to stop the war has made Bosnia totally dysfunctional. The country is composed by two entities, the Republic of Srpska and The Federation of BiH. The Federation has 10 cantons, 10 governments, hundreds of ministers and 11 prime ministers. This model is unsustainable and led the country into economic collapse.
More than 75 percent of young people want to leave the country.
Elvis Bajramovic was born on 1982 in Mostar. After studies in Oneida Baptist Institute (USA) and in the University of Sarajevo, (master in French litterature) he became journalist at the press agency ONASA (Sarajevo) and at the TV Dnevni Avaz. In 2010 he was selected as twinning assistant to Jean-Claude Ebel, French Resident Twinning Advisor in a European Union programme devoted to strengthen the administrative capacity of the ministry of transports of Bosnia and Herzegovina.