Local elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina will be held on October 2nd. First time after 1990 one communist organization takes part on them. That very fact is significant for our political situation. To say the truth the League of Communists of Bosnia and Herzegovina took part in local elections four years ago. But this party (which at the moment probably doesn't exist any more) has had completely social democratic programme.

Workers' Communist Party of Bosnia and Herzegovina insisted on the fact that this has been the first time that political party with totally different socio-economic and political programme appeared. We told the voters that all other parties, from socialists/social democrats to extreme nationalists have had the same programme. Additionally, we told them that all these parties have participated in various governments and that no improvements in economy and living conditions have been achieved. All these facts are well known to our voters but we had to stress them in order to accentuate our individuality.

Communists also have had concrete programme of solving local communities' problems. First of all, we insisted on solving social and economic problems. In this area, we were talking about problems of privatisation, unemployment, tax system, export-import problems etc. We proposed very concrete measures to be taken. For example, when we talked about tax system, we said that it has been established in the interest of ruling class. We said that existing tax system should be abolished and replaced with the system of progressive taxation. Second, we said that it should exist higher discipline in collecting taxes because, according to information of CAFAO organization, Bosnia and Herzegovina losts billion marks (half billion euro) per year because of tax evasion. Those who don't pay taxes belong to newly formed ruling class. In our opinion, no government could solve this problem alone, because all parties have tight connections with ruling class. So we advocated creation of broad social movement that should include new independent trade unions, associations of pensioners, peasants, students and women. Only this movement by pressure from the base could enforce governments to implement laws.

When the issue of unemployment is on agenda we advocated strict implementation of laws which guarantee 8-hour working day. This is not implemented in many cases, mostly in privately owned enterprises where unions do not exist. We think that mass of working hours should be divided among workforce, i.e. employed and unemployed workers. Working day should be restricted on charge of employers. In this way, level of exploitation would be decreased and new workers employed. On the other hand, we advocate establishing of investment bank in state ownership and under workers' control which would secure fresh capital for domestic enterprises under favourable conditions. Also, the state should prohibit unfavourable conditions for supplying enterprises with credits and loans by private banks.

Communists are also the only party which has specific explanation of collapse of our agriculture and industry. We said that the problem is in the orientation of our ruling class and foreign capital to convert Bosnia and Herzegovina into market for foreign goods which can't be sold abroad. In the country it is established rule of commercial capital that is not interested for investment in industry and agriculture but for commercial speculations that can secure fast and big profit. In our opinion, state should restrict import imposing high taxes and customs and giving credits to domestic enterprises which shouldn't be privatised. In this way market would be opened for domestic goods.

Workers' Communist Party of Bosnia and Herzegovina has been the only political party that condemned the very process of privatisation. Other parties have been talking about fair and lawful privatisation. We said that such privatisation is impossible because of the strength of ruling class who accumulated its capital using lawless methods. Now it is impossible to expect lawful privatisation under leadership of ruling class who used all means at its disposal to accumulate wealth during the civil war and after it. So we said that the privatisation should be ablished. If it is impossible at the moment because of the powerless of the workers' movement there would be revision of privatisation in those enterprises where it is possible considering good union organization.

Considering problems of local communities (there are more than 160 municipalities in Bosnia and Herzegovina) we said that they can't be solved before global social and economic problems are solved. This is because of small degree of autonomy of municipalities. If there would be changes in tax system and if the problem of tax evasion would be solved, there would be more financial means in the local budgets. With those financial means many economic and social problems could be solved. That's why we insisted so much on these global issues. However, even in existing local budgets there are big mistakes. They are not created and wasted in accordance with principles of social justice and economic efficiency. We said that more money from the budget should be given to poor layers and on social programmes, for example, to students from poor workers' and peasants' families or for financing of so-called people's kitchens where poor people can satisfy basic needs for food. More money should be given for culture, health and education. On the other hand, municipalities shouldn't finance political parties which have MPs.

Another area was that of functioning of local government. We stressed that election of communist MPs should be of great importance for publicity of local authorities work. Until now right wing and social democratic MPs have not done much to inform citizens about measures that have been taken by local authorities so elections will be practised on the soil of lack of information about real efforts and achievements of local governments. Local officials should be less paid. For example, our attitude is that the head of the municipalities and local MPs should not receive more than average workers' salary. Local civil service should be consisted of competent servants who would not be engaged according to party qualification. There would be at least one lawyer who would provide with free service workers whose rights have been violated through the process of privatisation and capitalist restoration.

Electoral campaign was very successful. We used all means at our disposal to promote the party. Until now many people didn't know that the party even existed. Now whole country knows about the communist party. People know about our attitudes because we regularly supplied media with our press statements. We also participated in all TV debates and our president's speeches were highly appreciated and positively evaluated. We were probably the only party which has had clear programme with concrete proposals apart the fact that it was the only party with workers' programme. The Main Board also organized public meeting in Bijeljina, which was well attended. Although the lack of money was evident and hardly affected our campaign it couldn't be seen that the Workers' Communist Party of Bosnia and Herzegovina was the extra-parliamentary party with most effective campaign. Parts of that campaign were also threats by some members of Serbian extreme nationalist party of Hague accused Seselj to our president.

Despite all these positive facts and achievemnts it is very difficult to say that our party will receive 3% of votes, which is needed to have an MP in local parliament of Bijeljina. This is our first public project. Until now many people even didn't know about us. Anti-communism is still very strong and even many of those who like communists will rather vote for socialists and social democrats in order not to "split the votes". Our goal, however, was to present the party and its programme and this is solid ground for further campaigns and actions.

Oct, 1, 2004

Goran Markovic