Hostname: page-component-76fb5796d-qxdb6 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-26T23:25:45.877Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The “national key” in Bosnia and Herzegovina: a historical perspective†

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 November 2018

Sevan Pearson
Sevan Pearson*
Affiliation:
Collegium Carolinum, Hochstr. 8, 81669 Munich, Germany Faculté des Sciences Sociales et Politiques, Institut d'études politiques, historiques et internationales, Université de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland Fakultät für Geschichts-und Kunstwissenschaften, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Historiches Seminar, Geschichte Osteuropas und Südosteuropas, Munich, Germany
*
*Emails: sevan.pearson@unil.ch, sevan.pearson@collegium-carolinum.de
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

The 1995 Dayton Peace Agreement in Bosnia and Herzegovina instituted ethnic quotas between Bosniaks, Serbs, and Croats: the three “constituent peoples.” This institutionalization of ethnicity, criticized by some contemporary authors, is often seen as a creation of the peace agreement. Interestingly, several scholars deem such proportional representation a legacy from socialist times. But the existing literature lacks a historical perspective on the question of ethnic quotas. In addressing this issue, this paper reminds one of the existence of ethnic quotas, called the “national key,” during socialist times. A deeper analysis of the “national key” in the Socialist Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina and of the ethnic quotas in the last two decades shows, interestingly, more differences than continuity. The article concludes that few similarities and more differences can be observed between the two periods, especially regarding the legal aspects of the “national key,” in ideological justification and in the conceptions based on parity or proportional representation.

Keywords

Bosnia and Herzegovinanational keyethnic quotassocialismcurrent political system
Type
Articles
Information
Nationalities Papers , Volume 43 , Issue 2 , March 2015 , pp. 213 - 232
Copyright
Copyright © 2015 Association for the Study of Nationalities 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Footnotes

†

This article is based on a paper presented at the Association for Study of Nationalities World Convention, Columbia University, 24–26 April 2014.

References

Archive material

Centralni komitet Saveza komunista BiH. 06.1962. Informacija o nekim aktuelnim idejnim problemima međunacionalnih odnosa i uticaja iz instranstva na nekim opštinama zeničkog sreza, ABH CKSKBiH 1962 k.37 D48-03.Google Scholar
Centralni komitet Saveza komunista BiH. 10.03.1966. Teze za savjetovanje sa sekretarima opštinskih komiteta o kadrovskim priprema za predstojeći izbor opštinskih i preduzetnih komiteta SK, ABH CKSKBiH 1966 k. 25 F6-br.29/02/2Google Scholar
Centralni komitet Saveza komunista BiH. 13/04/1967. Magnetofonski snimak Dvanaeste sjednice Centralnog komiteta SKBiH, AJ, 507-SKJ, II BiH-k.5/2-1.Google Scholar
Glavni odbor SSRN BiH. 1961. Informacija o sastavu opštinskih, sreskih i glavnog odbora SSRN BiH i njihovih komisija, ABH SSRN Izvršni odbor glavnog odbora 1960/61 k. 7.Google Scholar
Ideološka komisija CKSKBiH. 9/06/1964. Magnetofonski snimak sa sastanka Ideološke komisije CKSKBiH, o medjunacionalnim odnosima, ABH CKSKBiH 1964 k. 46a.Google Scholar
Izborna Komisija SSRN. 1969. Spisak kandidata, ABH SSRN Izborna Komisija 1969 k. 104.Google Scholar
komitet, Izvršni CKSKBiH 30/05/1966. Magnetofonski snimak sa sjednice Izvršnog komiteta održane 30. maja 1966. g., ABH CKSKBiH k. N. N.Google Scholar
Komisija CKSKBiH za rad na daljem jačanju i razvijanju međunacionalnih odnosa i međurepubličke saradnje. 26.04.1971. Neki problemi zaštite budućnosti naroda koji ne žive u svojoj nacionalnoj državi ili predstojeća nacionalna politika u SRBiH, ABH SSRN 1971 118-21/84 1770/71.Google Scholar
Komisija za ideološki rad CKSKBiH. 11.1962. Aktuelni problemi u oblasti međunacionalnih odnosa, ABH CKSKBiH 1962 k. 37 D44-03.Google Scholar
Prijedlog izmjena i dopuna programa rada komisije za međunacionalne odnose i međurepubličku saradnju za period do polonvine Komisija za međunacionalne odnose i međurepubličku saradnju Predsjedništva RK SSRN BiH. 01.1973. 1973. godine, ABH SSRN Komisija za međunacionalne odnose i međurepubličku saradnju k. 1973 118-1/7.Google Scholar
Komisija za rad Saveza komunista na daljem jačanju i razvijanju medjunacionalnih odnos i medjurepubličke saradnje. 14.10.1971. Nacrt zaključaka treće konferencije SKBiH, ABH CKSKBiH 1971 k. 7 04/8-1414/71.Google Scholar
Komisija za rad Saveza komunista na daljem jačanju i razvoju madjunacionalnih odnosa i medjurepubličke saradnje. 05.12.1972a. Dnevni red, ABH CKSKBiH 1972 k. 3 04/8-2167/72.Google Scholar
Komisija za rad Saveza komunista na daljem jačanju i razvoju madjunacionalnih odnosa i medjurepubličke saradnje. 05.12.1972b. Informacija, ABH CKSKBiH 1972 k. 3 04/8-2167/72.Google Scholar
Analiza o kretanju članstva Saveza komunista Bosne i Hercegovine za period 1969 - prvo polugodište Komisija za statutarna pitanja SKBiH. 10.1972. 1972. godine, AJ, 507-SKJ, VII BiH-k.4/7.Google Scholar
Komisija za unapređivanje međurepubličke saradnje i razvoj međunacionalnih odnosa. 5/06/1967. Međunacionalni odnosi u sistemu obrazovanja i vaspitanja omladine, ABH CKSKBiH 1967 k.14a 1063/67.Google Scholar
Komisija za unapređivanje međurepubličke saradnje i razvoj međunacionalnih odnosa. 13.01.1968. Predlog smjernica za rad komunista na sprovodjenju aktuelnih zadataka na unapredjivanju medjunacionalnih odnosa i medjurepubličke saradnje, ABH CKSKBiH 1968 k. 18 88/1.Google Scholar
Mikulić, Branko. Bilješke, AFBiH MB 1970–1971 k. 10 Bilješke 131/71.Google Scholar
Mikulić, Branko. 16/07/1970a. Razgovor sa kadrovima iz Hercegovine, AFBiH MB 1970-1971 k.17 Izlaganja 46/70.Google Scholar
Mikulić, Branko 16/07/1970b. Završna riječ sa razgovora u Hercegovini, AFBiH MB 1970-1971 k.17 Izlaganja 46/70.Google Scholar
Mikulić, Branko. 21/02/1972. Izlaganje na proširenoj sjednici Predsjedništva i Sekretarijata OK SK Prijedor, AFBiH MB 1972–1973 k.18 Izlaganja 79/72.Google Scholar
Mikulić, Branko. 21/09/1973. Izlaganje na proširenoj sjednici Predsjedništva i Sekretarijata OK SK Brčko, AFBiH MB 1972–1973 k.19 Izlaganja 117/73.Google Scholar
Mikulić, Branko. 26/03/1974. Referat na Šestom kongresu SK BiH, AFBiH MB 1974-1975 k.20 Izlaganja 122/74.Google Scholar
Opštinska konferencija Saveza komunista Bihać. 21/03/1967. Zapažanja, mišljenja i kritike komunista OOSK Gornje Prekounje Bihać, o zagrebačkoj deklaraciji o hrvatskom jeziku, ABH CKSKBiH 1967 k. XXI-P.Google Scholar
Redžić, Enver, ed. 1968. “Zemaljsko antifašističko vijeće narodnog oslobođenja Bosne i Hercegovine.” Dokumenti 1943–1944. Vol. 1. Sarajevo: Institut za istoriju radničkog pokreta Sarajevo.Google Scholar
Republički zavod za statistiku Sarajevo. Statistički godišnjak Bosne i Hercegovine 1972, ABH.Google Scholar

Contemporary sources

Law on Civil Service in the Institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina. 23/05/2002. http://unpanl.un.org/intradoc/groups/public/documents/nispacee/unpan012624.pdf Google Scholar

Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Court of Bosnia, Constitutional and Herzegovina, . 2000. “Constituent Peoples’ Decision of the BiH Constitutional Court.” http://www.ohr.int/ohr-dept/legal/const/default.asp?content_id=5853.Google Scholar
Izborni zakon Bosne i Hercegovine. http://www.izbori.ba/Documents/documents/ZAKONI/POIZpw110508-hrv.pdf.Google Scholar

Secondary Literature

Andjelic, Neven. 2003. Bosnia-Herzegovina; the End of a Legacy. 1st ed. London: Cass.Google Scholar
Belloni, Roberto. 2004. “Peacebuilding and Consociational Electoral Engineering in Bosnia and Herzegovina.” International Peacekeeping 11 (2): 334–353.Google Scholar
Bieber, Florian. 1999. “Consociationalism – Prerequisite or Hurdle for Democratisation in Bosnia? The Case of Belgium as a Possible Example.” South-East Europe Review 2 (3): 79–94.Google Scholar
Bieber, Florian. 2004. “Institutionalizing Ethnicity in the Western Balkans. Managing Change in Deeply Divided Societies.” European Centre for Minority Issues, http://unpanl.un.org/intradoc/groups/public/documents/UNTC/UNPAN015487.pdf.Google Scholar
Bieber, Florian. 2006. Post-war Bosnia; Ethnicity, Inequality and Public Sector Governance. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.Google Scholar
Bieber, Florian. 2013. “The Balkans: The Promotion of Power Sharing by Outsiders.” In Power Sharing in Deeply Divided Places, edited by McEvoy, Joanne and O'leary, Brendan, 312–326. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press.Google Scholar
Bieber, Florian, and Keil, Sören. 2009. “Power-Sharing Revisited: Lessons Learned in the Balkans?” Review of Central and East European Law 34: 337–360.Google Scholar
Bilandžić, Dušan. 1999. Hrvatska moderna povijest. Zagreb: Golden marketing.Google Scholar
Bose, Sumantra. 2002. Bosnia After Dayton; Nationalist Partition and International Intervention. 1st ed. London: Hurst.Google Scholar
Cohen, Lenard J. 1983. “Regional Elites in Socialist Yugoslavia: Changing Patterns of Recruitment and Composition.” In Leadership Selection and Patron-Client Relations in the USSR and Yugoslavia, edited by Henry Rigby, Thomas and Harasymiw, Bohdan, 98–135. London: George Allen & Unwin.Google Scholar
Connor, Walker. 1984. The National Question in Marxist-Leninist Theory and Strategy. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.Google Scholar
Grandits, Hannes. 2008. “Dynamics of Socialist Nation-Building: The Short Lived Programme of Promoting a Yugoslav National Identity and Some Comparative Perspectives.” Two Homelands Migration Studies 27: 15–28.Google Scholar
Haug, Hilde Katrine. 2012. Creating a Socialist Yugoslavia. Tito, Communist Leadership and the National Question. London: I. B. Tauris.Google Scholar
Höpken, Wolfgang. 1989. “Die jugoslawischen Kommunisten und die bosnischen Muslime.” In Die Muslime in der Sowjetunion und in Jugoslawien, edited by Andreas Kappeler, Gerhard Simon, and Brunner, Georg, 181–210. Köln: Markus Verlag.Google Scholar
Kamberović, Husnija. 2009. “Bošnjaci 1968: politički kontekst priznanja nacionalnog identiteta.” In Rasprave o nacionalnom identitetu Bošnjaka, edited by Kamberović, Husnija, 59–81. Sarajevo: Institut za istoriju u Sarajevu.Google Scholar
Kamberović, Husnija. 2011. Hod po trnju. Iz bosanskohercegovačke historije 20. stoljeća. Sarajevo: Institut za istoriju u Sarajevu.Google Scholar
Katz, Vera. 2011. Društveni i ekonomski razvoj Bosne i Hercegovine 1945–1953. Sarajevo: Institut za istoriju u Sarajevu.Google Scholar
Lijphart, Arend. 1977. Democracy in Plural Societies. New Haven: Yale University Press.Google Scholar
Lijphart, Arend. 2004. “Constitutional Design for Divided Societies.” Journal of Democracy 15 (2): 96–109.Google Scholar
Lovrenović, Ivan. 1998. Bosnien und Herzegowina. Eine Kulturgeschichte. Wien: Folio.Google Scholar
Marković, Predrag. 2001. “Odnos partije i Tita prema jugoslovenskom i nacionalnom identitetu.” In Identitet. Srbi i/ili Jugosloveni, edited by Marković, Predrag, Vasović, Mirjana, Ljuboja, Svetlana, and Sekelj, Laslo, 13–62. Belgrade: Institut za evropske studije.Google Scholar
Merdzanovic, Adis. 2014. “Why Democracy per Decree Does Not Work. Prospects and Limits of Imposed Consociational Democracy in Bosnia and Herzegovina.” PhD diss., University of Zurich.Google Scholar
Morawiec Mansfield, Anna. 2003. “The Quest for a New Democratic Order in Bosnia and Herzegovina.” Columbia Law Review 103 (8): 2052–2093.Google Scholar
Mujkić, Asim. 2006. “Etičko-politički diskurs Etnopolisa.” Fakultet političkih nauka – Godišnjak, 66–84.Google Scholar
Mujkić, Asim. 2007. Mi, građani etnopolisa. Sarajevo: Šahinpašić.Google Scholar
O'Halloran, Patrick J. 2005. “Post-conflict Reconstruction: Constitutional and Transitional Power-Sharing Arrangements in Bosnia and Kosovo.” In From Power-Sharing to Democracy. Post-Conflict Institutions in Ethnically Divided Societies, edited by Noel, Sidney, 104–119. Montréal: McGill-Queen's University Press.Google Scholar
Pearson, Sevan. 2011. “Bošnjaci Instead of Muslimani: A Symbolic Change in Wartime Bosnia-Herzegovina in 1993.” Transitions 50 (2): 201–220.Google Scholar
Pupavac, Vanessa. 2000. “Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia's Multiethnic Rights Approach and the Politicisation of Ethnicity.” Human Rights Law Review 5 (2): 3–8.Google Scholar
Pupavac, Vanessa. 2005. “Multiculturalism and Its Discontents in SFR Yugoslavia and Bosnia: A Critique of the Multicultural Rights Model.” University of Nottingham. eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/1401/1/Multicultural_governance_in_Bosnia.pdf.Google Scholar
Ramet, Sabrina P. 1992. Nationalism and Federalism in Yugoslavia 1963–1991. Bloomington: Indiana University Press.Google Scholar
Ramet, Sabrina P. 2006. The Three Yugoslavias. State-Building and Legitimation, 1918–2005. Bloomington: Indiana University Press.Google Scholar
Saltaga, Fuad. 1991. Muslimanska nacija u Jugoslaviji. Porijeklo, islam, povijest, kultura, politika. Sarajevo: Institut za proučavanje nacionalnih odnosa.Google Scholar
Šarac, Nedim, Zdravko, Antonić, Drago, Borovčanin, Rodoljub, Čolaković, Uglješa, Danilović, Nijaz, Dizdarević, Rato et al, Dugonjić. 1990. Istorija Saveza komunista Bosne i Hercegovine. Vol. 2. Sarajevo: Institut za istoriju u Sarajevu.Google Scholar
Stojanović, Nenad. 2006. “The Dilemma of Ethnic Quotas in Power-Sharing Theory: The Case of Bosnia and Herzegovina.” In The Western Balkans. A European Challenge, edited by Bufon, Milan, Gosar, Anton, Nurković, Safet, and Sanguin, André-Louis, 331–347. Koper: Založba Annales.Google Scholar
Sundhaussen, Holm. 2012. Jugoslawien und seine Nachfolgestaaten 1943–2011. Eine ungewöhnliche Geschichte des Gewöhnlichen. Vienna: Böhlau.Google Scholar
Western, Jon W., and Serwer, Daniel. 2000. “Bosnia's next Five Years: Dayton and Beyond.” United States Institute of Peace Special Report 62: 1–12.Google Scholar
Zgodić, Esad. 2000. Titova nacionalna politika; temeljni pojmovi, načela i vrijednosti. Sarajevo: Kantonalni Odbor SDP BiH.Google Scholar