1. STANCE TOWARD STATE

1.1. State-legal status of BiH

Bosnia and Herzegovina is unquestionable for us as a State, and under no circumstances shall we agree with its division. As legalists, we accept the existing constitutional organization, but our stand is that it can be changed solely by agreement in the Parliament of Bosnia and Herzegovina, i.e. by decision of democratic, legally elected representatives of all peoples, national minorities and citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina

1.2.  What sort of State do we need?

As a sovereign, independent, and territorially inseparable State of Bosnia and Herzegovina, it should be built as a modern, democratic, law-governed, secular and social State.

As a democratic State, Bosnia and Herzegovina should develop pluralism, but we do not reduce that pluralism to a formal multi-party system. We see the pluralization of BiH society in a much broader sense and in terms of development of a civil society, its associations, organizations and coordinated activities leading to public good––good for all.

As a legal State, Bosnia and Herzegovina must develop a legal culture as a civilization practice in both the institutions of authority and civic value orientations.  The State where the rule of law and equality of all people shall be unquestionable values and integral parts of everyday habits and behavior not only among the authorities but in all social institutions, as well as among citizens in their mutual relations.

In line with modern civilization achievements, Bosnia and Herzegovina as a secular State practices a tested policy experientially of separation between the church and the State, and simultaneously acknowledges and makes serious a neutral relationship toward any ideology or religious point of view.  This commitment implies that the existing religious communities, as segments of a civil society, enjoy full freedom, equality and autonomy.  With respect to that we do not accept the policy of open or secret theocratisation of our society.

Despite all coercion accompanying economic liberalization and pro-modernization, Bosnia and Herzegovina, as a State, should advocate and pursue the policy of social market economy, and that means the policy of social justice which makes it possible for every person, regardless of their personal status and material circumstances, to use all available resources of public good in the field of health care system, education, culture, sports, and all other forms of common social standards.

The State of Bosnia and Herzegovina is obliged to guarantee security, a dignified life, right to education, and complete health and social care to every citizen who lives a decent life (law-abiding), and makes a living from his/her own work, regardless of his/her religion or ethnicity.

1.3. National relations

We are in favor of full equality and freedom for all peoples.

We oppose every policy that builds relations between the peoples of BiH on any division:  on majority and minority, on those who are the backbone of Bosnia and Herzegovina and those who are allegedly not; or on autochthonic and unautochthonic peoples.  We reject every policy which would build social and national relations on the idea of titular nations and titular religions.  We are in favor of total equality between all peoples, and against every policy of majorization, discrimination or segregation in any respect.

We advocate for equality between all people (male and female citizens) of BiH, development of social relations that will gradually eliminate preconcertedly produced fears of one from the other.  No male or female citizen of Bosnia and Herzegovina must be discriminated because of his/her nationality, religion (or lack thereof: atheistic world-view), or sexual orientation.

We are committed to total equality between all male and female citizens, all peoples, and all ethnic minorities in every part of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Specifically and clearly, we want total equality for Serbs in the Federation of BiH, Bosniaks and Croats in Republika Srpska, and total equality between ethnic minorities all over BiH. 

We are neither anational nor supranational party.

As a human, all-national and civic political option in BiH, we recognize all peoples and we rise to protect all individual and collective identities.  But not through political or ideological slogans but through legal procedures we side with racial, ethnic, religious, gender, birth, political, cultural and other rights in order to move as quickly as possible from the current state of antagonistic relations to harmonious and genuinely indiscriminate pluralism of a preconcertedly divided BiH society.

1.4. Democracy and freedom

We advocate for the development of a pluralistic democracy.  This implies that we shall work persistently to develop an open, democratic society.

The party, open to all different factions, peoples, ethnic minorities, and all male and female citizens of BiH, shall endorse all forms of democratic, legitimate actions in order to initiate speedy social processes and to efficiently use all of human potential with the aim to help BiH progress and join the European Union at a faster pace.

We do not want a reduced democracy based only on the rights of national interests.  All male and female citizens must have the right and freedom to express and practice their convictions, points of view, and collective identities, regardless of their points of view and ideological orientations.  The right of equal opportunities must be the right for everyone.  Actions of national parties must be in accordance with a democratic system of values and in pursuit of positive constitutional legislation. 

We do not reduce democracy to a political sphere.  It is a moral and ethical issue––and, finally, the issue of dignity and free labor.  Workers, employees, and staff cannot––and must not––be left in the sphere of work at the mercy of new capitalists, people who have financial power, and/or the State Administration. Development of economic, i.e. industrial democracy is one of our program objectives.  That is why we are going to constantly cooperate with unions and other associations of workers, and strive to incorporate contemporary achievements of workers’ participation and industrial development in our legislation.  The right to work and a dignified work place make up the foundation of our idea of democracy.

Our party shall advocate for ideology-free and bureaucracy-free institutions of authority and their standardization in accordance with principles governing in the EU countries, aiming to make the authorities at the service of the citizens so that they can simply and easily exercise their rights under the same conditions in State system institutions.  We are determined to promote the values of an open, free, and solidary united civil society. 

1.5. Reconstruction and development of a new BiH society 

We appreciate all efforts to introduce new institutions and to strengthen and promote the existing institutions of BiH as a State.  We shall support all efforts to re-establish competences of the State institutions that have been suspended up until now, and to strengthen through constitutional and political agreements the central State institutions as umbrella political institutions of the BiH society guided by political principles of the European Union.

However, we believe that through rational political engagement in the institutional reshaping of our State we have to work more seriously and more systematically on the reconstruction and further development and democratization of the BiH society.  The politics must ensure and stimulate broad cooperation in the sphere of sports, culture and art, guaranteeing free flow of people, goods and ideas

Relying on various forms of communication in our citizens' everyday life, development and reconstruction of our society must be devised carefully.  Media, cultural institutions, scientific institutions, economic associations, etc. must get involved in these new processes of political resocialization.  

In that field we shall stimulate inter-entity relations, not only at the level of citizens' everyday life but in the first place between official cultural institutions, such as theaters, galleries, academies of science, institutes, libraries, museums, non-governmental organizations, sports associations, etc.

The policy of togetherness must be built on mutual respect for diversity and real freedom and equality within the framework of coordinates of modern democratic values.  This coming together of diversity implies certain rights and responsibilities.  It further produces organic ties of inner solidarity, which are the only ones to be able to resist ideologically preconcerted prejudice and practical discrimination.

1.6. Foreign policy

For us, a prosperous European future of BiH and its membership in the NATO Alliance is not questionable.   However, we want to get into the European Union straight away, today, not tomorrow, i.e. – as soon as possible.  That is why we advocate for enactments and procedures to be harmonized faster with those in the European Union, so as to create favorable ambience for much stronger and faster economic, cultural, social, economic and every other progress in BiH.

A faster road to the European Union is not possible without stable, harmonious and conflict-free relations with the neighboring countries.  We want a well-balanced policy to be able to resolve, as soon as possible, all border disputes, mutual pending debts of foreign currency depositors, retirement and other rights of our citizens gained through work in other republics of the former country, as well as problems relating to the status of citizens' property and companies situated in the territory of the neighboring countries, etc.

In our relations with other European countries we shall demand that obstacles be removed so that BiH could ensure and achieve its rights to which it is entitled as a naval State.

Peaceful policy is our constant commitment.

We shall organize and support anti-war and other peaceful movements against every kind of oppression of people and nations all over the world.

1.7. Responsible government

Our party shall advocate for enhancement and introduction of new mechanisms of the Government's responsibility for its work within the system institutions (legal responsibility), as well as of that part relating to the issue of development of political culture and political responsibility of the Government for its work toward the electorate (political responsibility).

The above implies that the citizens are considered as real authors of laws and other regulations, because a responsible government completely adheres to the law (laws) imposed by peoples through their representatives.  This is how a responsible government bases its authority on democratic principles, being in service of democracy at the same time.  Democratic mechanisms must offer citizens an opportunity to be involved, to make proposals and exert influence, thus creating a basis for actions by the Government, which is considered responsible.  This is how the ideal power for citizens is achieved and not power over citizens.  Transparent democratic procedures known in advance serve the purpose of creating the rights that will guarantee the principle of justice.  

In that respect, in that part which implies development of the Government’s responsibility within the system, we endeavor to achieve the following:

•  a higher level of transparency of the Government's work with respect to budget spending;

•  involvement of all relevant social mechanisms in the process of adoption of the budget in terms of satisfying the interests of a wider specter of social interests and a higher level of democracy;

•  to create mechanisms for control of work through activities of the civilian sector – to determine the way of influence of results, e.g. researches about the issue of directing the Government's work;

•  enhancement of control of the Government's work through the Parliament;

•  transparency in appointments of members of the Government's commissions;

•  to reduce the adoption of laws through shortened procedure (indirect influence of the Government)

•  coordination of the Government's and the Parliament's work;

•  application of regulations about the freedom of access to information;

•  advance information about agenda and strict rules about their application;

• to correct established irregularities on the basis of reports by independent auditors and call for accountability;

•  application of regulations about prevention of conflicts of interests

Immanence in the party's work will be the aspect of development of political culture and political responsibility toward the principle according to which   a politician bears responsibility for the execution of his/her authority.

1.8. Local self-government

A new local administration and self-governance will be developed, with the fundamental aim to make the local administration and self-governance in our country be a modern, good-quality service for its citizens and a prime moving force of local economic and social development. In turn, the citizens will experience equally as their right and their obligation to govern responsibly and proactively in local development and affairs, based on principles of the European Charter on Local Self-Governance and fundamental values and principles of good local self-governance.

Local administration and self-governance will be: 

• efficient in providing fast, good-quality and inexpensive services for citizens, following simple procedures adapted to their interests and needs;

•  transparent by providing complete legality and public access to its work; full responsibility and equal access for everyone;

•  open for initiatives and interests of the youth and dedicated to resolution of problems of the youth, particularly in the area of good-quality education, opportunities for employment, provision of safe, healthy and perspective environment and conditions for satisfaction of their cultural and sport needs;

• proactive and constructive in cooperation with entity and State bodies and organizations, other municipalities, international organizations and investors;

•  accountable for solving problems within its competence, providing equal treatment to all its citizens and all parts of the local community;

•  to serve citizens with full respect for their needs, problems and proposals;

• to genuinely serve entrepreneurs and potential investors, while being dedicated to creating a stimulating business ambience and to genuine partnership between the public and private sectors in provision of economic development of local communities;

•  to initiate greater involvement of citizens in decision-making processes and resolution of problems in local communities;

• dedicated to development of a civil society, while particularly supporting and assisting the establishment and the development of civic associations and non-governmental organizations.

1.9. Education

We will ensure that each person in BiH, without limitations, has the right to education as well as to a professional learning and vocational training. This right includes a possibility for all to attend primary and secondary education without discrimination, under equal conditions, and free of charge. We will ensure that all parents, under equal conditions, are able to provide such education for their children that is in line with their religious, philosophical and pedagogical beliefs.

Today, we have a situation in BiH where the total number of pupils enrolled in primary and secondary schools has been reduced, which to a large extent illustrates a reduction of wealth of the citizens (families) in our country.

We believe that the state should ensure free primary and secondary education for all its citizens, and that secondary education should become mandatory. It is the only way in which we can ensure that new generations will develop in accordance with their own intellectual, creative and working capacities.  We will carry out a reform of the secondary education in accordance with modern trends that will ensure a prompt, efficient and practical application of the young people's entrepreneurship.

University education will be equally available to everyone in accordance with individual capacities and wishes that will not be limited by social, economic or geographical position. We consider higher education an engine for economic development of the society. The Bologna process, and in particular its fundamental provisions (i.e. quality teaching, credit system of marking, development and networking of scientific research, student standards, etc) will be fully implemented.

The universities in BiH will have to be standardized in accordance with the criteria applied in the EU countries, and this will mean that independent specialized commissions will be introduced who will bring order into the current chaotic situation in the university education sector in BiH by introducing appropriate EU standards. Both public and private universities and faculties will be standardized in accordance with the same criteria, which, in turn, will ensure an equal quality level of teaching at all BiH universities. The current practice of continuous opening of too many universities in BiH will be replaced by a practice of inter-university co-operation and of blending of universities, whereas local and regional needs will be adjusted with the economic and other criteria of highly standardized European universities. This is the platform on which the current situation––where there are too many universities in BiH––will be replaced by a situation of the standardized European high education that meets local, regional as well as the needs of the country as a whole.  Where possible, the universities should be de-politicized and de-dogmatized and transformed from the budget-funded institutions that they currently are, into such institutions that are capable of making more revenue than the subsidies they withdraw from the budget. It is necessary to restore and strengthen the links amongst universities, scientific institutes and economy.

The European path implies that knowledge has always been an important element of economic activity. However, there are three models that can illustrate modern economy:

- A fast growing accumulation of capital and relying on formal and technical knowledge affect all economic sectors; thus scientific and technological share in products and services has been increased. Consequently, there is an increasing and constant need for a better qualified work-force;

- Thanks to new information and communication technologies, more powerful technological tools for distribution and usage of knowledge and more efficient economic activity are available;

- An increased liberalization of trade and exchange of goods and services forces the economies to focus more on such activities that are based on knowledge.

The expenditure for science in the EU is 3% of the GDP, whereas in BiH this percentage is 0.03% at the moment, which is 100 times less. We are going to change this.