CEREMONY ACADEMY HELD ON THE OCCASION OF BIH STATESHIP DAY

Organized by the University of Zenica and BZK Preporod, a Ceremonial Academy was held tonight at the Zenica Hotel to mark the Statehood Day of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Ceremonial Academy was attended by Member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina Željko Komšić.

On behalf of the University of Zenica, Prof. Jusuf Duraković, Rector, addressed the audience: "Mr. Komšić, your presence today at our forum is of special importance, both for our University and for the academic community as a whole. Your role as a member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina carries enormous responsibility, but also provides an opportunity to be a driver of change. We particularly appreciate that you have taken the time to address our students and academic staff, because it is precisely dialogue with young people and intellectuals that can shape a better society and a stronger future."

On behalf of the Senate of the University of Zenica, the Chairwoman and Dean of the Faculty of Law, Prof. Dr. Sc. Larisa Velić, addressed the audience and emphasized: "Unfortunately, today we are witnessing the collapse of the state, the collapse of state institutions and long-established democratic values. We, as an academic community, have an obligation to say NO to injustice, to say NO to division and to say NO to the collapse of the pillars of our country's government."

During his inspiring speech, Željko Komšić emphasized that it would be a big question whether March 1, 1992, would be the Independence Day of BiH, if it had not been for November 25, 1943, and the restoration of the statehood of Bosnia and Herzegovina, at the session of the National Anti-Fascist Council of BiH (ZAVNOBiH) in Mrkonjić Grad.

"Of course, then within one state - the former Yugoslavia. On that day, in fact, the statehood of Bosnia and Herzegovina was restored after several hundred years. Because, Bosnia and Herzegovina as a kingdom was definitely one of the oldest states on the European continent. If not in the world. Of course, with the arrival of the Ottomans and later with the anxiety of Austria-Hungary, the Austro-Hungarian occupation, it lost that element of its own," said Željko Komšić.

The Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina, he emphasized, "was not written by us, nor is it the product of any political or broader consensus in BiH," but rather is an integral part of the Dayton Peace Agreement.

Also on this occasion, Željko Komšić emphasized that we should start seriously considering whether the Dayton Constitution, which many swear by today, provides us with any basis for further progress, when we talk about what is expected of the authorities in BiH. "I think that with this kind of constitutional structure and this kind of constitution, we will hardly be, not only a NATO member state, but, especially, we will not be able to be a European Union country."

"It is very important to remind ourselves of the anti-fascist struggle, it is in the foundations of Bosnia and Herzegovina. What is very important is that this struggle showed that Bosnia and Herzegovina is a country of all, a country of differences with one criterion - Bosnia and Herzegovina must be one and only homeland in that spirit and in that spirit. This is the Statehood Day of all citizens and citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina." pointed out Prof. Ph.D.Sc. Ajdin Huseinspahić, president of the city organization BZK Preporod.