Program principles
P R O G R A M P R I N C I P L E S
PEOPLE’S PARTY “RADOM ZA BOLJITAK”
“LET’S PROGRESS FORWARD”
1st Congress of the Party
31st July 2004, Sarajevo
1. WHO WE ARE 3
1.1. We are the People’s Party 3
1.2. We are for free legal State and open society 3
1.3. We are for eco-social market economy 4
1.4. We are the Bosnian and Herzegovinian Party in Europe 4
2. WHAT WE WANT 5
3. OUR BASIC PRINCIPLES 6
3.1. Our view of human beings 6
3.2. Freedom 7
3.3. Responsibility 8
3.4. Solidarity 8
3.5. Equity 9
3.6. Work 9
3.7. Security 9
3.8. Partnership 10
3.9. Subsidiarity 10
3.10. Participation 10
3.11. Tolerance 11
4. STRONG DEMOCRACY 12
4.1. State tasks 12
4.2. Civil awareness of democratic community 13
4.3. Our parliamentary democracy needs people’s parties 13
4.4. Media 14
4.5. State and religious communities 15
4.6. Security and fight against crime 15
5. ECO-SOCIAL MARKET ECONOMY 16
5.1. Principles of eco-social market economy 16
5.2. Market and competition 16
5.3. Economic and social order 17
5.4. Ecological order 17
5.5. Improve competitive abilities of Bosnia and Herzegovina 18
5.6. Financial and economic policy 19
5.7. Competition policy 20
5.8. Structural policy 20
5.9. Small and medium enterprises 20
5.10. Science, research and technology 21
5.11. Energy and raw materials 21
5.12. Traffic policy 22
5.13. Agricultural policy 22
5.14. Housing policy 23
6. NEW SOCIAL AGREEMENTS 23
6.1. Basic 23
6.2. Equity and partnership of man and women 24
6.3. Family – foundation of society 25
6.4. Improving synchronization of commitments in family and at work 26
6.5. Children, youth and elderly 27
6.6. Persons with special needs 28
6.7. Social equity 28
7. LIFE AND ENVIRONMENT 29
7.1. Protection of life 29
7.2. Health 29
7.3. Nature and environment protection 30
7.4. Leisure and sport 30
8. EDUCATION AND CULTURE 31
8.1. Upbringing and education 31
8.2. Additional education – professional improvement 32
8.3. Science and technology 32
8.4. New media and telecommunications 33
8.5. Art and culture 33
9. HOMELAND IN EUROPE AND WORLD 34
9.1. Bosnia and Herzegovina in Europe 34
9.2. International security 35
9.3. Bosnia and Herzegovina in the world 35
10. POLICY OF CREDIBILITY 35
PROGRAM PRINCIPLES
OF PEOPLE’S PARTY “RADOM ZA BOLJITAK”
WE, THE PEOPLE’S PARTY IN BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA
1. WHO WE ARE
1.1. We are the People’s Party
People’s party “Radom za boljitak” addresses to people in all layers and groups of our country, Bosnia and Herzegovina. For us, human beings are God’s creatures, but not the final measure of all things. Peoples party “Radom za boljitak” is open for every individual who is agreeable with pride and freedom of all people and basic convictions of our policy resulting thereof. This is a foundation for common actions of members of all national and religious communities in Peoples party “Radom za boljitak”.
People’s party “Radom za boljitak” wants to connect different views through mutual values and goals. Differences in opinions and interests should be considered openly with mutual respect and tolerance. We emphasize individual’s personal responsibility.
We acknowledge policy that gives overall answers to problems of our society and doesn’t end with following individual interests.
As people’s party, we declare ourselves for positions of political centre, for policy orientated towards values and political practice which reasonably and objectively approaches to problem solving. Therefore we are expressly against extremely edged political positions and we are refusing fundamentalism, intolerance and use of force in any form.
Human imperfection, as well as limitation of his abilities to plan and shape, also creates limitations for politics, but nevertheless we are convinced that human is predestined and capable to shape world ethically responsible. Such understanding protects us from ideological extremism and totalitarian comprehension of politics.
1.2. We are for free legal State and open society
We advocate freedom of individuals and improvement and recognition of effects of their work. We want to limit State power and government to only necessity. Protection and defense of basic personal and political rights and rights on freedom, as well as private ownership have central positional value for us. Human freedom without responsibility is unimaginable in future.
We acknowledge parliamentary democracy. It’s based on free legal State, activities of political parties, business and social self-government in institutions and associations, and direct democratic participation of people on important issues. Our commitment is democracy within party and active participation of our members in democratic creation of will.
For us, freedom of choice while shaping life possibilities is precondition for open society. It is reflection of different opinions, cultures, needs, and interests of citizens and by that the foundation for tolerance and changes. Flexibility in shaping life conditions is important in order to provide happy life for people.
1.3. We are for eco-social market economy
We consider protection and preservation of natural resources to be our task. We want to preserve earth so that our children could also live on it and that it could remain rich for them. Upcoming generations must be able to live in healthy environment worth of humans.
Therefore, eco-social market economy is a model of economic order that we are going to develop for future economic, social and ecological challenges.
Private ownership and competition are the most important principles for organization of eco-social market economy. Political and economic organization of State must stimulate will for work of every individual. At the same time, it must make sure that people who are excluded from market are not banished into economic isolation. To this social component we are adding ecological principle of diligence, which says that economic actions must not reduce chances for the future of next generation neither force of nature to recover.
1.4. We are the Bosnian and Herzegovinian Party in Europe
We declare ourselves for Bosnia and Herzegovina. Because of responsibility for our country we refuse any type of totalitarianism or dictatorship and we wish to reach economic, social and political renewal and to achieve once again total State independence.
We stand for preservation and stimulation of cultural heritage of our homeland Bosnia and Herzegovina. Through entrepreneurial spirit, courage for reconstruction, and stimulation of artistic creativity we wish to give our country unique feature for the future generations also.
Our rich and divers cultural identity is important contribution to Europe. Strength of European culture is in openness to diversity of different cultural traditions. Our acknowledgement of lingual and cultural diversity in Europe includes its recognition of national groups and minorities in our country.
United Europe is future foundation of peace and security of this continent. Therefore, our goal is democratic Europe in which political responsibility is carried jointly. We advocate new European security order in which we want to participate actively.
2. WHAT WE WANT
We want to ensure personal freedom of individuals and encourage their will for work. Free development of personality in life determined by person itself as well as protection of personal freedom is our primary goal. Will to work must be encouraged in every person as much as possible and it must not be disrupted with bureaucracy or too comprehensive regulations.
We especially want to stimulate family as basic social community. The one who takes over responsibility for family and children serves overall community and deserves its support. Woman and man should not be deprived in any way for undertaking family commitments.
We want to enforce responsibility towards community. Versus tendencies in times of excessive egoism and decreased solidarity we are calling out all citizens of our country to become aware of their responsibility towards community as precondition for any further development of democracy and society.
We want to undertake our responsibility towards everything already created and future generations. Continuous careful usage of our natural wealth and soil should ensure possibility for life of our descendants. Concrete appliance of scientific and technical possibilities must be carried out with ethical responsibility.
We want to improve working capabilities of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Healthy economy is one of the most important preconditions for prosperity and well being of the country. With improvement of its international competitiveness with balanced coexistence of small, medium and large companies, Bosnia and Herzegovina can fulfill its commitments of social equity towards its own citizens.
We want society that aspires towards lasting values. Virtues like decency, honesty, thrift, courage, diligence and willingness to assume responsibility, and reliability must govern our communications with each other and should be strengthened with ideals. We ask for respect for these principles, especially from the office-holders in our Party.
We want to enhance citizens’ confidence in democratic institutions. Democratic institutions need confidence of the citizens and that confidence they have to win over and over again. We want to achieve this by ensuring possibilities for functioning of political institutions and credibility of political officers. We want to invite citizens on cooperation and participation over and over again.
We want to economically manage taxpayers’ money. Citizens have right to conscientious and considerate usage of their taxes and duties. Thrift, which is understandable by itself in private life, must also mark management of money in public budgets.
Through our policies, we want to provide security and homeland to our citizens. We want to accomplish that everybody feels safe and well in our country. We want to preserve Bosnia and Herzegovina as homeland and encourage its spiritual, cultural and historical identity also in the future.
We want to overcome future challenges with policy open to the world. Many problems can be solved only at the international level. Our membership in international organizations and joining Euro-Atlantic integrations are significant precondition for perseverance and future development of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
3. OUR BASIC PRINCIPLES
3.1. Our view of human beings
We acknowledge human dignity. Dignity and human life, also as unborn, are sacred. We respect every human being as unique and free person in all its life cycles. Dignity of all humans is equal – regardless to gender, race, nationality, age, invalidity, religious and political conviction, health condition or working capability, success or failure or judgment of others.
Right of every human being on free development of own personality comes out of human dignity. Freedom gives humans opportunity to make moral decisions. Every man bears own responsibility by his conscience.
Every human being relays on community and coexistence with others. Freedom of individuals is achieved and preserved through turning to their fellow-people and organization of joint human life. It means that individual must bear responsibility for himself and those ones living close to him.
Every human is submissive to mistakes and quilt. Human imperfection and his limited possibilities of planning and managing create boundaries in politics also. If we are aware of this boundaries that can protect us from ideologies and totalitarian comprehension of politics and can create willingness for reconciliation. Even beside our total engagement, we can’t create perfect world.
We in People’s Party “Radom za boljitak” see human as a part of creation. Nature is not only precondition and instrument of our life but also God’s creation with its own meaning. We don’t have right to manage this creation in whatever way we want. It’s entrusted to humans to arrange it and preserve it.
We recognize that sense of human aspiration overcomes his material life goals. Therefore, we are for the overall view of the world and humans: beside social, political and economic for us there are also cultural, ethical and religious dimensions in humans, to which we pay attention in our policy.
3.2. Freedom
We in the People’s Party advocate individuals’ right on free development of personality. As moral beings humans can reasonably and responsibly decide and act. Task of politics is to provide necessary free space for people. Freedom includes rights and obligations. Anyone who claims freedom for himself must also recognize the freedom to the others. Freedom of individual is limited by freedom of others and by sense of responsibility for future generations and preservation of the things that are already created.
Humans are developing within society. Freedom is realized through personal and mutual responsibility. Every citizen in Bosnia and Herzegovina should be able to experience and realize freedom within family, neighborhood, on workplace and in spare time, as well as within municipality and the State. Realization of individual freedom is ethically impossible without undertaking responsibility for oneself and the community. We oppose to a falsely interpreted individualism at the expense of others. We want to strengthen sense of responsibility and common welfare, sense of commitments and virtues of good citizenship.
Justice that protects personal dignity ensures freedom. It regulates ordered and peaceful coexistence of individuals in freedom. Social justice is necessary for accomplishment of freedom. Living conditions of people should not create an obstacle to freedom. Therefore, tasks of politics are to provide security, to remove unreasonable dependence and insure material conditions for freedom. Personal property expands area of individuals’ freedom so that they can arrange their lives in their own way.
Personal achievement is one aspect of free development of personality and our community depends on willingness of its members to perform and achieve. They are one of basic preconditions for prosperity and social peace. We appreciate personal achievements and individual initiative, but individuals have their dignity and rights regardless to the efficiency of their work.
One aspect of freedom is the readiness to protect and fight for it. We recognize principle of defense democracy and legal State. The one who is free is also obliged to stand for freedom of those whose freedom is denied. We want freedom for all, not just for few. Freedom must not be limited to some nations or groups within community. We wish to contribute to decrease of poverty and dependence, that are unworthy of humans and we advocate legal system, social justice and democracy. We are standing against any form of State tutelage and unnecessary control.
3.3. Responsibility
According to our view of human being, every individual bears responsibility for its own actions and also responsibility for its fellow-citizens and State community.
We will be able to solve problems of modern society when every person assumes responsibility for its own actions in the private sphere and on workplace, as citizen and as politician. Politics must stimulate undertaking and exercising of responsibilities and it must act against any tendency to shifting responsibility to anonymous institutions.
3.4. Solidarity
Solidarity means being there for each other, because individuals and the community depend on each other. Solidarity is an expression of the social nature of humans and it derives from the commitment to love one’s neighbor. Solidarity gains its ethical dimension from human dignity. Our goal – to enable dignified life for everybody – obliges us to act in a spirit of solidarity. Therefore, solidarity must be applied most of all to those who are not able to stand up for their own rights.
Community and individual are dependent on mutual solidarity. Every person has right and commitment to practice solidarity and to contribute through its work and achievements towards enabling that entire community acts in the interests of individual. We support this mutual responsibility of individual and community. Basic forms of solidarity are help and support in direct communication – in the family, amongst neighbors and in private communities. But, community and State must help where capacity of an individual, or independent associations or groups are surpassed. Within its possibilities it must the State must facilitate and promote the ability to help oneself. The People’s Party “Radom za boljitak” accepts this alternate responsibility, which is equally afar from both the boundless individualism and the collectivism.
Solidarity is inconceivable without certain sacrifices. Anyone who expects support and solidarity from others must also be prepared to help others. Anyone who excludes himself/herself from this and works and lives only for his/her own benefit undermines the basis of social peace in community. Solidarity obliges strong ones to act on behalf of weak ones and both to act together for community welfare.
Solidarity in life is characteristic of nations in their mutual communication. In Bosnia and Herzegovina solidarity is necessary especially in post-war times. We can find inner unity only if all citizens perceive Bosnia and Herzegovina as solidarity union.
3.5. Equity
All citizens are equal in their rights and their dignity, and unequal in their preferences, competences, inclinations and interests. Equity doesn’t mean that “everybody is going to get the same” but “everybody is going to get its own”.
Absolute justice is unachievable. Political action has limitations, because humans are not perfect. But we explicitly stand for more equity in our community and worldwide.
Equity aims at as much as possible fair distribution of living opportunities, open access to educational institutions, goods, work and property and also to participation in decision making process and sharing of responsibilities. Equity presupposes recognition of personal work and social equalization for those who are, for reasons beyond their own control, unable to work.
We advocate fair, peaceful and democratic world order, which should insure fair share in its goods for all inhabitants of the world as well as an existence worth of human beings.
3.6. Work
Work is a part of human personal development. It is a precondition for overcoming common tasks and basis of overall human development. Readiness for work and willingness to assume entrepreneurial risks should be stimulated. Personal work in family, society, politics, economy and culture should be a standard for work income within market economy and also for business and social advancement.
Human dignity remains unaffected by person’s working ability. Those who are unable or no longer able to work have right to demand help. Nobody must be forced to work beyond its abilities.
3.7. Security
Life in freedom can be developed only in legal order to which individual can trust. Task of the State is to repress conflicts and ensure political and social security.
General conditions for securities are necessary, within which people can plan their future. They comprise internal and external security of country, protection of body, life, freedom and ownership, insurance for old age, sickness and social need, but in the same time to ensure that basic areas of personal and social life such as upbringing, education, culture and religion can develop freely.
We stand for construction of legal security and we oppose to constant changes of legal framework.
We stand for a stabile system of social security with guaranteed financing on a long-term basis.
The security functions of the State must be in service of freedom and equity.
3.8. Partnership
We stand for society based on partnership principle in which emerging conflicts and opposed interests can be resolved peacefully in a spirit of mutual respect, readiness for dialogue and recognition of mutual values.
Society is characterized by a diversity of attitudes, interests and groups. This diversity leads to contradictions and conflicts. Statutory institutions and associations give in the framework of social partnership substantial contribution to resolution of conflict in the spirit partnership.
We advocate creation of partnership in all spheres of life, in the area of human relations, in marriage and family, in the business and work communities, in politics and the State and also in international community. The most important partnership is achieved in marriage and in families between parents and their children.
Partnership requires elimination of ungrounded superiority and subordination, unjustified claims for domination as well as inequalities in access to employment and life opportunities.
Partnership in personal sphere means that women and men respect each other’s values, that they are responsible for each other and that they equally agree their tasks within and outside the family. We want to secure equal opportunities for women in family, on workplace and in politics as well as in other spheres of life.
3.9. Subsidiarity
We stand for the principle of tasks division in society based on partnership. Such society is not resolving its problems solely through State, but it uses variety of other institutions. Such variety ensures life in freedom. Individuals and small communities should be enabled to solve their problems with individual responsibility and by that close to real life. By that they are taking off some of the burden from higher-level communities as well as the State, which in such way can use its energy for planning and implementation of tasks that only they can carry out. Therefore existing division of tasks must be examined and the State must be relieved of tasks which can be equally or better executed by other state institutions.
We believe that an individual should expect from community only what he/she cannot do on his/her own.
Political organization demands a clear division of tasks, from local to the international level. The principle of federalism and municipal and regional self-government is getting more and more important, as the integration process for states and nations within the European Union progresses.
3.10. Participation
We want citizens to participate in the political processes that directly influence their lives. Through participation of the highest possible number of citizens, democracy can be further developed and in a long-term can resist all kinds of pressures.
We stand for the representative democracy, i.e. representation of citizens by freely elected delegates and democratic parties in parliaments at the various State levels. This system should be supplemented by direct democracy procedures.
Live democracy relies on participation of citizens in public discussions and in the political decision-making process. Quality of democracy is measured by the degree and form of participation in decision-making process and controlling systems.
Necessary preconditions for participation are conscience of responsibility, tolerance and critical ability of decision-making. Participation in fulfillment of tasks in society demands a highly developed awareness of responsibility for connection of social and political system. If necessary, individual and local interests must be put behind insurance of commonwealth.
Important precondition for participation in democratic process are overall free information on public processes as well as publicity of decision-making.
3.11. Tolerance
Fundamental consensus on mutual values is necessary for democratic and pluralistic society. We advocate a differentiated, diverse and open society.
In modern pluralistic society, tolerance is an everyday necessary attitude of open humanity. Tolerance implies acceptance of different opinions and respect of different life goals, intentions and conscience of others. Tolerance is rooted in the dignity and freedom of human being, but it is also limited through assurance of human dignity and freedom. Thus, human rights are the very measure of tolerance. Tolerance does not permit violations of humanity and human rights and, thus, significantly differs from moral indifference and intolerance.
Overcoming diversity in modern society demands from people a strong feeling of cultural identity. Precondition for tolerance is not loss of personal identity but self-confident confirmation of personal identity which contributes to successful and peaceful coexistence of genders, different cultural, religious, ethnical and social forms of life. Tolerance doesn’t mean that all positions have the same value or that all life forms should get equal legal and state subsidies.
4. STRONG DEMOCRACY
4.1. State tasks
Three nations (Bosniacs, Croats and Serbs) and national minorities are citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Aware of this fact, we think that task of the State is to ensure basic rights and create legal preconditions for free and undisturbed development of individuals in open society. Its task is to protect citizens from internal and external dangers, to protect weak and minorities, to preserve diversities of social forces and to ensure preservation of life basics.
Principles of legal state are division of power, independence of courts as well as legality of government and trials, having in mind at the same time particularities in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
In our opinion beside their commitments citizens have their rights towards the State. These are the rights on hearing, participation and fast decision-making in all matters of their concern, and also the right on information and protection of personal information. Citizens must be sure that the State is working for their own welfare.
The State must constantly critically verify shape of its organization, improve and modernize it regularly and constantly review its tasks. Where public tasks can be carried out equally good or better by private or independent agencies, the State should let them do the job. This particularly applies to economic activities of the State.
The State must not put its citizens under the tutorage, but it needs to create framework conditions and stimulate citizens for work that suite their free development.
Civil management is also subjected to the principle of effectiveness, and it must use tax payer’s money effectively and economically.
State must have independent and professional civil service that would be a guarantee of legal state and political stability.
Vast and hardly understandable laws represent danger for the legal state. Therefore, we are trying within legal system to develop clear and simple regulations. Constant review of justification of legal regulations should be directed against threatening legalization of all spheres of life.
4.2. Civil awareness of democratic community
Our free state can exist only thanking to involvement of its citizens. Citizen commitments for common welfare are coming out from their rights that are guaranteed only by the State. Loyalty, respect for the law and adherence to the principle of peaceful coexistence are citizen’s characteristics in the same way as are mature independence, power of judgment and freedom of acting.
Every individual is responsible for common welfare. A sense of citizenship and consciousness of responsibility are demonstrated at the workplace, in the family and neighborhood, in service to fellow human beings, through involvement at political, creative and social level, and in organization that work for general welfare. But such kind of involvement must not lead to unacceptable financial burdens for individuals. We want to encourage as many citizens as possible to become consciously involved in work for our democratic common welfare.
4.3. Our parliamentary democracy needs people’s parties
We believe that our young democracy should be further developed in dynamic political order that derives from the citizens’ cooperation and assures their freedom through control and distribution of power. Parliamentary democracy is a system that reconciles different interests, balances political forces and solves conflicts peacefully. It combines political leadership with the obligation to answer for one’s actions to the people that express their approval or disapproval through elections. Representative democracy can make crucial contribution for stability of our society. It does not exclude elements of direct democracy. These elements can usefully supplement the representative system, most of all at regional levels, but on the other hand we shouldn’t reject referendums at state level.
Political parties have a special responsibility for society and the State. They are irreplaceable element of any parliamentary democracy; they open social issues and political queries, contribute to the formulation of political will and bring these results into the parliaments. They provide candidates for the parliament and the government. Political parties are fulfilling their task in pluralistic society when they compete for responsibility, which connotes governing, by offering to electorate clear and personal alternatives. The one who is engaged in democratic political party in service to our community deserves proper recognition. Without such engagement our democracy cannot be accomplished.
As a people’s party, we are in a position to connect various interests of all different layers of our society and organize them for the general benefit. The process of developing policy and making decisions within a people’s party operates on the principle of internal democracy, facilitates the democratic process generally, and defuses the threat of conflict within our open society. Political parties that view themselves as representatives of interests of only particular layers or groups in society are not capable to function in this way.
As any other social organization, political parties tend to become rigid in their structures and to ritualize their decision-making process. We see the danger in alienation among political parties and citizens if political issues are seen only from the point of retaining or wining power. For us, decision made professionally and ethically responsible is more important than winning majority in parliaments or position in power. Political attitudes must be formulated on the basis of fairness and tolerance, ability to compromise and transparency, but also on the basis of loyalty.
For us in the People’s Party “Radom za boljitak”, the ongoing task is to shape the Party in such way that our members and all interested citizens have enough opportunities to cooperate. We want to take a new direction in internal party democracy. Particularly we must try to allow all our members to become directly involved in the formulation of the Party policy. We wish to win over people who are not our Party members and who are recognized in society for their integrity, competence and readiness to work. We also want to involve citizens into specific projects limited with scope and duration. We expect our officials and mandataries to be independent of interest groups, to demonstrate intellectual autonomy and good judgment, to resist all forms of opportunism, and to display honesty and integrity. In order to allow as many people as possible to be politically active, it is necessary to exclude any unjustified multiplication of the duties and mandates held by one person.
We are in favor of politics close to the citizens and we want to strengthen local self-government. We recognize and support political work on voluntary basis of many women and men who sacrifice they spare time for such engagement in the cities and municipalities. Political decisions on communal level should, as much as possible, include citizens’ vote. We want to have ongoing dialogue and cooperation with important forces within society such as clubs, associations and religious communities. We want to work more closely with independent groups and initiatives that make a responsible and relevant contribution to public life and we want to encourage them to undertake mandates and responsibilities in the People’s Party “Radom za boljitak”.
We believe that political parties should withdraw from institutions and bodies for which they have no political mandate or right on democratic legitimization. Our understanding of politics also includes recognition of its limitations. We wish to concentrate our energies on tasks that we are asked as a political party.
4.4. Media
Independent media are necessary and integral part of the culture in free democratic society. Media are also political factor because they are highlighting political topics for the public debate, commenting and criticizing. As such, they have to recognize that the public expects from their workers to have professional qualifications and self-restraint.
Quality and diversity are the goals of media policy that is aware of its responsibilities. To ensure versatile media environment with independent media, excessive media concentration must be prevented through laws on monopoly.
In the field of radio and television, the coexistence of public-service broadcasters and private broadcasters should be enabled. As an electronic display of Bosnia and Herzegovina, public-legal broadcaster must fulfill task of giving quality informational and cultural contents. It bears a special responsibility for preservation of regional cultural identities.
We want to protect a private sphere of every human being from any kind of media reporting.
4.5. State and religious communities
Through preaching about God, religious communities are referring to the things outside of our existence and are contributing in giving meaning of life to many people. They have special meaning for orientation towards values in our community. Beside that, they represent a model in social-charitable field and upbringing.
The State must ensure to religious communities their right to autonomously organize their work and freedom in performing community services. To enable independence and fulfillment of their work we advocate an introduction of system of contributions to religious communities. We expressively support significance of religious communities, their responsibility and participation for common welfare. In preservation of basic religious values of our free democracy, most of all sanctity of individual’s dignity, we see mutual task of People’s Party “Radom za boljitak” and religious communities.
Members of People’s Party “Radom za boljitak” in Bosnia and Herzegovina are people that belong to the various religious groups. We respect human’s religious conviction. We stand for legal order that guaranties the inalienable right of free expression of religious affiliation.
4.6. Security and fight against crime
We want to create a society in which everybody can move freely and feel safe. Body, life, freedom and property must be effectively protected as legal objects.
The State has a duty to effectively implement the law. The exercise of State monopoly has to be bounded to the law and order. This does not imply an omnipotent state, but maximum legal safety for all citizens.
We need to consistently and effectively fight against violence and crime by all means of legal state. Law enforcement bodies and the administration of justice must have at their disposal all instruments necessary for fulfillment of those tasks. For that they need support from all citizens. With their own behavior all citizens share responsibility for internal peace of the State.
We stand for fast and consistent punishment of all law violations. Long-standing legal proceedings are undermining confidence of citizens in the legal state. Punishment must be adequate to violations of law and the law. Penal law must take into account verified legal traditions as well as changing social developments and values perceptions.
Fight against drug abuse and drug-related crime represent a special challenge for our security policy. We reject the legalization of soft and hard drugs because we don’t want to reduce the level of prohibition for young people. We advocate comprehensive and preventive school education about drugs and building of institutions that take care of drug addicts.
5. ECO-SOCIAL MARKET ECONOMY
5.1. Principles of eco-social market economy
We advocate ecological and social market economy, because it, more than any other economic or social political order, fulfils our basic values. The basics principles of the eco-social market economy are efficiency and social justice, competition and solidarity, personal responsibility and social security. It combines individual’s wish for achievement with social justice in society and creates, within its ecological movement, preconditions for preservation of what is already created.
We believe in human creative abilities to be developed in freedom and responsibility. We are aware that human can misuse its abilities and work without taking in consideration social and ecological issues. Therefore the State must set the framework conditions in order to strengthen forces of self-regulation in economy and to commit participants in economical life to respect social and ecological demands, and along with that principles of competition and social as well as ecological order are connected and mutually conditioned. We want to develop ecologic and social market economy in order to strengthen personal initiative, for greater participation in economic and social prosperity and efficient protection of natural environment.
5.2. Market and competition
Market and competition are central elements of our economy and they, through the decentralization of power, enable freedom. The market as organizational form of economy is equivalent of a free democracy. Competition encourages wish of individuals to work better, and thus also serves for the benefit of society. The market and competition are making possible efficient and acceptable supply of goods and services, are ensuring that production matches to the wishes of the consumers, are encouraging investments and forcing for constant rationalization. However, if the State plays a more prominent role, and the market operates less freely, this often reduces people’s readiness to work and results in less prosperity and less freedom for everybody. Yet, the market alone cannot create social justice. Justice in market efficiency is not the same thing as social justice. That is why an ecological and social market economy ties up the market order and order of social efficiency into one arranged unit. Within that the following principle must be accepted: there should be as much market as possible in order to strengthen individual initiative, desire to work and individual responsibility, and as much interference of the Sate as necessary to preserve competition and social and ecological order in the market.
Private property, that implies social commitments, belongs to the free and social market order. Private ownership of the means of production is a precondition for economical and careful usage of goods with limited quantity, and for efficiency and productivity in the economy. Basic preconditions for free economic activities are also, freedom of contracting and carrying out craftsmen work, freedom of headquarters registration, freedom to choose a profession as well as opportunity for profit and the risk of losses.
5.3. Economic and social order
Economic and social orders are inseparably linked. They are mutually complemented and limited. Any economic policy that doesn’t take into consideration social justice endangers social peace and at the same time leads to losses in state economy and social instability. Our policy of social order combines the principles of humanity and economic viability, and also justice in work and distribution of work results. It aims to strengthen individual responsibility, personal assistance and active solidarity.
Social partnership is particularly important for our social order and for the success of our economy. When we make comparison with other industrial countries, it becomes clear that we must highly respect productive force of social peace. Social partnership in ecological and social market economy implies above all process of making joint decisions, self-regulation in social insurance, employees’ shareholdings in companies, and autonomy in making collective agreements.
The autonomy in collective agreements is an important factor of our social peace. The idea of partnership requires existence of functioning trade unions and employers associations. Partners in creation of collective agreements bear a special responsibility for full employment, monetary stability and development, and thus for overall welfare. Beside that, the basic elements of our social order are proper protection of employees, system of joint decision making, employees’ shareholdings in companies, social partnership and equal rights for women and men.
5.4. Ecological order
Our responsibility for what has been created must be the guiding principle of our economic activity. We must create principle of our activity from interconnection of man, nature and the environment. The bases of ecological order are principles that responsibility is on those ones who have produced the damage, and that we should work on prevention of damage. In the future we want everyone who had failed in environment protection and who exploits the nature to cover costs of their own actions as producers or as consumers.
Market and economy incentives and appropriate legislation are the instruments to achieve these aims. Limitation of natural resources could be expressed trough both of these instruments. Starting from individual responsibility in ecologic and social market economy we advocate first of all exploration of all possibilities for cooperation before resorting to state regulations. For the future we will also need environmental laws and legislation with bans, recommendations, limits, requirements and requests for approval to protect against direct dangers for mankind and the environment. For better usage of innovative power and achievements in economy for the purpose of environment protection, we aim to put more ecological elements in tax legislation, environmental levies, compensation possibilities, certification and liability regulations. By using market incentives in this way and rewarding environmentally sensitive actions and burden exploitation of environment with costs, we are on the road towards balancing values and strengthening individual initiative for preservation of environment.
We in the People’s Party “Radom za boljitak” are trying to win over people for new concept of prosperity and development. An important element in prosperity is a healthy environment for life. Development means much more than just an increase of goods and services. Our new concept of development incorporates the careful use of natural resources that enables their preservation by introduction of modern production methods and also incorporates ecologically balanced prices for exploitation of the nature.
5.5. Improvement of competitive abilities of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Because of the changes that happened in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Europe and Worldwide our economic location stands in front of new challenges in economical, technological and social aspect. We have to improve our economical competitiveness and abilities because of the unified economic area in Europe and increased exchange of goods with neighboring countries, globalization of market and increasing globalization on worldwide locations, in order to preserve in long-term the social security and life conditions for upcoming generations.
In order to improve economic location of Bosnia and Herzegovina we advocate:
Reduced role of the public sector and lowering of taxes and other duties;
Improvement of initial and additional education, science and research and their infrastructure;
Promotion of new technologies and environmental protection;
Privatization;
Deregulation and reduction of bureaucratic regulations and commitments, and faster approval procedures;
More flexible working hours and longer machine-running times and their coordination;
Improvement of informational and traffic infrastructure;
And, most of all, insurance of social peace and social partnership.
In order to insure and improve economical position of Bosnia and Herzegovina as economically sustainable location, we advocate entrance into European economy and monetary union.
5.6. Financial and economic policy
We need structural changes and redistributions, expenditures reduction and increment of efficiency. We advocate establishment of the Office for Indirect Taxation and introduction of VAT. Trough deregulation, privatization and bureaucracy reduction we wish to achieve more efficient fulfillment of public tasks with less expenditures. We want certain public tasks to be financed through specific charges and by requiring individuals to participate in financing. This will create a greater transparency of expenditures for public services, encourage competition and lead to economical and better provision of such services.
The main idea of social justice must not be taken in consideration only for receivers of public services, but also in burden of tax and membership payers. This is not just about justice in distribution, but it is also about justice in contribution. Taxes and fees must not slow down private initiative and abilities of workers and entrepreneurs to contribute.
We want to reduce on middle term basis total tax burden and reestablish our tax system. Burdening of production factors as capital and work trough direct taxes is too big. We want introduction of lower levels of direct taxes, but also a wider tax basis with less tax privileges and exceptions. This goes in favor of simplification and tax equity at the same time. First of all, we need to put more tax burden on luxury consumption, especially energy use and environment pollution. Since we are going to redirect economic and ecologic system we will open the way for further development of eco-social market economy. Material capital must not be in worst position than financial capital regarding taxation.
5.7. Competition policy
Individual’s freedom and openness of society are preconditions for competition. On the other hand, competition is foundation for variety of possibilities. We want to insure individual justice in usage of possibilities, to keep open market and prevent unfair competition. Where concentration of economic power endangers competitive principles citizens’ possibility to choose and operation of market are also put into question. Therefore the State must act against concentration of economic power.
We advocate customization of special competitive-legal regulations to the general rules of competition in areas of transport, insurance, banks, energy and supply, employment and free occupations.
5.8. Structural policy
It is necessary to privatize mixed industrial companies and other companies in State portfolio. Beside that, infrastructure facilities in area of transport, public planning, water supply and waste water management could also be privatized as well as companies in areas of energy and waste disposal to the possible level. Private entrepreneurship, guided and controlled by market, insures in the best way economic efficiency and adjustment to market conditions that are constantly changing. Social protection is carried out through instruments that are enabling equalization and assistance in social and employment policy, but regularly without State entrepreneurial activities.
In order to survive in international competition we need continual changes in economy structure. These changes must be guided by market competitiveness. Changes can’t be executed through State directives in economy. Task of structural policy can be only to improve abilities of companies and employees to adapt, and to socially insure structural changes.
5.9. Small and medium enterprises
Production abilities of eco-social market economy are based on balanced structure of small, medium and large enterprises. We need economic strength, richness of ideas and wish for success of small and medium enterprises with their fast innovative and development dynamics. Medium size economy is of great importance for preservation and creation of new work and education places. Small and medium enterprises are obligatory for sustaining competitiveness. They are always giving opportunity to switch from the position of employee to the position of an independent entrepreneur and they are precondition for decentralization of economic power.
Small and medium enterprises have many advantages, because they are more flexible, they can make decisions faster and have less bureaucracy, but they also have disadvantages in competition with large enterprises. Therefore we need to stimulate them, primarily in taxation and capital forming.
We need more male and female entrepreneurs and therefore we want to make their step into economical independence much easier. Our economy must offer a chance for independence to those entrepreneurs that are aware of impacts and are ready to risk. Therefore, we firmly advocate stronger improvement of middle class and recognition of entrepreneur initiative.
5.10. Science, research and technology
Cooperation of science and research work with economy in Bosnia and Herzegovina must be improved by applying basic cognitions on concrete products and services that are going to be competitive on the market. Economy must, beside research for the benefit of production, to pay more attention to basic research work. IT has a special strategic importance for science and economy. Fast and reliable IT networks are important investment in the future on our areas.
Constant and long-standing dialog about basis of research work and assessments of long-term development in technology between the State, economy and science is of vital importance for linking their forces and for creation and fulfillment of long-term perspectives.
The State must not and should not prescribe technical innovations. Companies are able to make best assessments of need for research work on development of new technologies and products according to the market developments. Therefore basic tasks of economy are applicable research work and innovations. Through its long-term engagement in technology economy can create preconditions for competitiveness on the international market and for economical success. In course of that it is more efficient to improve framework conditions for innovative work than to include state assets to help innovations. Therefore, reducing bureaucracy and deregulation are significantly important to insure undisturbed development of economy, research and technology.
Research and technological policy are significantly surpassing issue of Bosnia and Herzegovina as an economic location. Science and technology are giving their seal to our entire community and are important potential for organization of our future. Ethnic bounders and demands are emerging from our responsibility for human dignity and preservation of things that are already created.
5.11. Energy and raw materials
Fundament of our economic development is reliable and harmless for the nature supply of energy and raw materials. We want to reach the highest level of efficiency with a goal to reduce usage of primary energy. We want to consequently use possibilities for energy savings in industry, traffic and households. That is the best way to save energy resources and prevent pollution of environment. We advocate reduction of environment pollution from usage of fossil fuels, and we are giving priority to production of energy from renewable resources. The key regulating factors for this should be the price.
5.12. Traffic policy
Traffic policy has a decisive impact on life quality of people and their mobility, on nature and environment pollution and economy efficiency and competitiveness. We advocate construction, reconstruction and modernization of highway network as well as construction of international corridors through Bosnia and Herzegovina. High investment costs most of all in area of road, rail or water traffic, cannot be covered only by the State. Therefore we must use opportunities for private investments (concessions) into transport infrastructure and refinancing through fees for transport services. We advocate regulation of costs for transport infrastructure on the European level.
5.13. Agricultural policy
Farming, forestry and food, vine and vegetable growing as well as fishery are important factors of economy. They are also parts of rural cultural tradition. We want efficient, diverse and naturally sustainable agriculture with rural tradition. Bosnia and Herzegovina agriculture must insure development on the European market, which will insure its competitiveness. Current structural changes must be socially eased and used for improvement of competitive abilities. Our vision is enterprising agriculturalist who works in its own responsibility. Agriculture and forestry are feasible in form of family properties, but also in other legal and economy forms. In this way want to insure diversity in ownership over land and soil.
Reform in EU agricultural policy is directed towards permanent reduction of pressure on market and stabilization of agriculturalists incomes. Future agricultural policy must be more directed towards principles of eco-social market economy. We rely on the principle of efficiency and we are refusing bureaucratization and extensive limitations of entrepreneur spirit.
Inclusion of the most important elements of agricultural reform into GATT is precondition for insurance of future for multifunctional agriculture in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Europe. As a central instrument of global management, Europe must execute in the future efficient protection of its agricultural market from outside influences.
Social security of agriculturalists and their families is very important for us. We must pay attention to efficiency, large personal responsibility and cooperation of all members in households.
Future primary task of agriculture is to produce healthy food with high quality in compliance with nature. New possibilities and new markets for agriculture and forestry can be opened with application of regenerative raw materials. Agriculture and forestry fulfill irreplaceable social task by nurturing and preserving our cultural landscape. Special impact on intensive environmental protection must be rewarded and must be regulated by contracts. We advocate harmonization of legal framework for protection of animals, nature and environment, as well as other issues connected with mutual competitiveness on common European market.
5.14. Housing policy
Bosnia and Herzegovina has large diversity of city and rural living areas. The way in which our economic locations can prove themselves depends also weather our cities and regions can give attractive housing offers for entrepreneurs, their employees and families. We want to help independent development of rural areas. Bigger towns and populated centers are already burdened. Our policy of city development aims to improve life quality, with better life spaces to act against anonymity, and to make coexistence of different generations easier. This contains life spaces created by the measure of families and older people, as well as organization of environment for needs of children.
We need more construction lands for housing building, more simplified construction standards and regulations, shorter terms and privileges for procurement of construction approvals. We are decisively against speculations with construction land, especially in densely populated and internal city areas. Social commitment, which comes with ownership, demands that available construction areas are put on disposal. Economic market concept is necessary for construction of new housing apartments and it must have profitable investments and insured disposal over personal private ownership.
In order to comply with social and ecological demands we need balance between construction and green areas, housing and market areas, passing traffic and areas without traffic, offers for workplaces and leisure time. Protection of monuments is, in any case, part of our housing and culture policies.
6. NEW SOCIAL AGREEMENTS
6.1. Basic
Our social order allows the best possible development of the individual in which members of the community assume obligations to share social tasks and burdens and distribute them fairly in the interest of community.
Demographic developments, changed living conditions, coexistence of old and new values, as well as changed framework conditions in economy and international environment need new form of social balance. New social agreements should be foundation for solidarity between genders, all age and occupational groups and all social layers. Our foundation is the voluntary agreement between equal partners on their respective rights and duties. New social agreements must also take in account our responsibility vis-à-vis future generations.
Solidarity must not be misunderstood as an exclusive task of the State. Social engagement of all citizens in small groups and private institutions as well as voluntary communities is necessary for success of common welfare.
Policy must create basic conditions that, through maintenance of personal freedom and highest possible individual independence, are insuring social security and equity as well as social integration.
6.2. Equity and partnership of man and women
For us equity means right on free development of personality regardless to the gender. Task of our policy is accomplishment of equity between man and woman as partners in society. We want to remove existing inequity of woman in family, at workplace, in policy and all other social areas. Our wish is that men and women can be developed in freedom and responsibility according to their affiliations, talents and wishes. Partnership means that men and women are mutually acknowledged in their differences, that they are responsible for each other and that they equally agree their tasks within the family and outside of it.
Nowadays a new comprehension of man and woman roles has developed. Rationality and social values necessary in every sphere of life, as well as profession, creativity and readiness to support cannot be divided by gender. We advocate that State and society, as appropriate, help real execution of equity. Beside what we have already achieved we need equal chances and opportunities for promotion in business world, better evaluation of family work and better possibilities to harmonize family and business life.
We need deeper engagement of women in political parties and other organizations, so that they could incorporate in them their specific opinions and experiences. Therefore we in the People’s Party are continually supporting women’s participation at all levels. Partnership in policy means that men and women are mutually acknowledged in their professional skills, life experience and judgments and accept this as obligation for political decision making process.
We in the People’s Party “Radom za boljitak” advocate:
Increased recognition of work carried out in family and linking it into the social security system;
Equity in opportunities and in wages, and removal of discrimination in the business life;
Greater compatibility between the family and business life;
A greater involvement of women on leading positions, political mandates and offices as well as in all social areas.
6.3. Family – foundation of society
Family is the most stable form of living together in society. Families offer individuals a secure and caring environment in which they can experience solidarity between the generations. Families offer the best opportunity for an individual to develop those characteristics and skills, which form the basis of a free and responsible community: love and trust, tolerance and consideration, self-sacrifice and responsibility, autonomy and mature independence. For us the family is the foundation of society. Therefore we advocate financial support for families and recognition of family work in society. The cohesion of the family is a necessary precondition for collectivity within society.
Marriage is the most important model for community of man and woman. It is the best foundation on which mothers and fathers can assume mutual responsibilities for raising children. Most women and men want the reliability, love and partnership in marriage. Marriages and family requires our special support all the more because in our open society relationships are threatened more than ever. We strongly believe that marriage, as an institution of relationship concluded for entire life, should remain constitutionally protected. We respect extra-marital partnerships and the conscious decision to live without the legal framework provided by marriage. We are against such partnerships having the same legal status as marriages.
Every child needs the personal care, attention, love, authority and role models of parents. Development of personal independence and readiness for community, sense of values and responsibility depend crucially from upbringing in the family. Parents have a right to bring up their children. Anyone who decides to have children is undertaking rights and responsibilities that are unavoidable.
Number of single parents, separated or remarried couples with children has increased. Where children are receiving proper care and upbringing we must recognize and support this work. Children born outside wedlock also have a right to a personal relationship with their natural mother and their natural father. We want to give such children equal rights with those born within wedlock.
Through upbringing of children parents are making an essential contribution to the welfare and survival of our society. Dramatic changes in demographic structure of our society are endangering security of generation balance. To act against this problem is not just a task for policy but also for society by altering its attitude towards children and work in the family. We want to contribute in creating society that is friendly towards children, regarding them as treasures and enabling them to grow up carefree. Families need various forms of help, support and encouragement to overcome various tasks in front of them:
We are trying to improve current equalization in family burden and to rearrange it through equalization of family work: through children’s allowance related to need and based entirely on income and is dynamically adjustable, as well as through introduction of balanced and differentiated taxation of family income taking in consideration number of family members. Those who have children should pay correspondingly lower taxes. Such a differentiated system will give increased relief to families with children and introduce a greater degree of fairness into the taxation system. Such shift in favor of families with children is also required in the legislation on social security insurance.
We advocate that our society should encourage and facilitate upbringing of children and their development. We want to create a legal right to a place in kindergarten, in order to help and challenge children through their contacts with other children. At the same time, most of all we support private initiatives and unprofitable kindergartens of common welfare. Children require both free space and protection. There is an urgent need for more housing and residential areas which suits the needs of children. It is important for children to feel accepted, irrespective of their abilities and success. Their different perspective on the world is also important for adults, because it enables them to experience the need for tolerance and understanding.
We emphatically advocate the protection of the unborn life. Pregnant women in a situation of need and conflict require not just financial support and appropriate care facilities even for very young children, but also the full support of the father of the child, her family, neighbors and employer. Protection of the unborn child must remain ingrained in the legal statutes of our State.
An important task of community is to strengthen the family’s ability to give children a proper upbringing, which can be seen from the large number of frightening cases of violence in the family, maltreatment and abuse of children. Parents, relatives, neighbors, teachers, the police and the legal system all bear a large responsibility. We think that preventive measures and follow-up support are equally important as the provision of actual help in emergency situations. Therefore we intend to build the network of help and advice centers for parents, children and young people. We are in favor of appropriate number of women’s shelters and a comprehensive system of telephone help lines that would cover all areas.
6.4. Improving synchronization of commitments in family and at work
We want for men and women to have opportunities for better synchronization of commitments in family and at work. Women have an equal right as men to synchronize family and work. Many women and increasing numbers of men are temporarily or permanently devoting their time to work in the family and raising children. This provides the children with a sense of security and dedication. Numerous demands regarding this issue bring along many personal rewards but also considerable burden with work and still involve financial inequality. Every year more hours are spent doing housework and bringing up children than in the economy. We in the People’s Party are therefore in favor of greater recognition for this kind of work. Skills acquired in housework and raising a family must be recognized as qualifications. Mothers and fathers who are upbringing their children on there own must receive more support from society. Financial support for upbringing of children, leave of absence and recognition of time spent raising children by the pension insurance are steps towards our goal of achieving social recognition for such work, and as such must be further developed. Partners in tariff negotiations regarding economy, public administrations and politics must help improve framework for better synchronization of commitments in family and at work. Companies and municipalities must insure a greater number of flexible institutions facilities for children of various ages. Greater synchronization of professional and family life is also in the interest of children’s development.
We advocate extension of pregnant leave i.e. both paid and unpaid free time for upbringing children and nurturing relatives. More part-time qualified workplaces need to be created and more flexible working hours introduced for both men and women. We want to help make the world of work more compatible with family. Having children should not mean abandoning business world. We want to give possibility to choose and by that make it easier to return to work. We advocate a broad offer of opportunities for additional education so that individuals do not lose contact with business world even while they are raising a family.
6.5. Children, youth and elderly
Children mean vitality, imagination and renewal. Their prosperity must be a primary concern of every society. Children need protection, security and orientation towards values that are conveyed to them, primarily, by their mothers and fathers. Family roots are the best precondition for successful development of child. Children also have rights – human rights. Respect for these rights presupposes partnership between parents and children and non-violent upbringing. Children need to be stimulated, but they must not be overburdened. The State must create favorable living conditions for children through the provision of educational, social, administrative and recreational facilities.
We consider youth as the most important partner in the development of the future society. Youth policy is policy of the future. We want to offer young people an atmosphere of freedom and encouragement for independent development. Our ideal is a young person critically open to both the lasting values and the necessary changes. Young people should responsibly shape their own life spheres; develop their abilities to resolve problems and conflicts, and to creatively and tolerantly participate in further development of society. We are encouraging engagement and voluntary activities of youth in associations, political parties, religious institutions and other democratic organizations. Politics is an important task for young people so that they could undertake tasks and responsibilities in the future. Nowadays politics implicates on tomorrow’s life and young people have priority to participate in its shaping and have rights to participate in decision-making process.
The third age is every day more and more significant in individual’s life perspective and conscience. We advocate improvement of life conditions for elderly people. Quality of life for elderly people includes housing, food supply, the necessary domestic services and nursing care, as well as continued involvement in social, intellectual and cultural life and thus we support their voluntary engagement. Those ones who want to be active in business, beside their achieved retirement age, should get opportunity to work. We want to use experience and abilities of elderly people in our society and we recognize their life achievements in the community.
We advocate partnership between generations and not just inside one generation. Young and elderly people can learn from each others through exchanging experiences and strengthening values as tolerance and readiness to compromise, responsibility and solidarity in generation’s coexistence. Discrimination and limitations caused by age should be prevented and removed.
6.6. Persons with special needs
Our particular duty is to stand up for the interests of disabled persons. Disabled persons and their families are the part of our society and they require all our support and solidarity regardless to the way they became disabled. Exchange of experiences between disabled and healthy persons represents an enrichment of our society. The correct approach is integration, but not isolation. We are emphatically in favor of protecting the right to life and early support for disabled children. We want to improve education for disabled in special schools, to expand integral services designed to give parents of disabled children support, to secure access for the disabled to the workplace, and to ensure that the planning and design of private and public areas and buildings allows proper access for the disabled.
6.7. Social equity
Essence of social society is help to those who are not enough or not at all able to help themselves. Modern social policy is in tension between freedom and responsibility, between readiness to work and solidarity. New distribution of tasks between state and private social responsibility is one of the great challenges of social policy that stands in front of disability to finance higher and higher expenditures. Only what we earn and create can be shared. Principally, care for the future must have advantage before social care.
We advocate efficient and fair social system which protects and stimulates damaged and those in need. Every citizen must be part of social systems in our country. Misusage of social institution and help is unsocial and unsupportive and therefore must be appropriately punished. Social help must be given by clear and fair criteria. It should be financially transparent so that everybody’s conscience about expenditures could be developed. Social institutions must see themselves as service institutions, and not as state offices.
Social security includes additional education and socially balanced flexibility of working hours as well as help in finding workplace. Society based on solidarity has a commitment to provide social security to those who are excluded from earning and who are not able to care for their own social security.
7. LIFE AND ENVIRONMENT
7.1. Protection of life
We absolutely respect human life – born and unborn. We declare ourselves for family planning in the terms of responsible parenthood and we want on-time and comprehensive upbringing with appropriate consulting. Politics and society must create conditions for prevention of pregnancy terminations. Consultations and help for pregnant women in conflict situations is base for any credible policy for protection of unborn life.
Our view of human being, besides all medical possibilities, demands respect for death. In our country, people need to have right on death worth of human being. Politics need to create framework conditions for that. Patient and its family have right to refuse usage of medical technology methods that have no chance. We refuse active help with dieing.
7.2. Health
Health is basic need of every human being. Approach to medical institutions must be insured to everyone regardless of his/her financial situation, social status and residence. Everyone has responsibility for its own health. Subventions in insurance system should stimulate personal health care and encourage healthier life.
We believe in further development of medical knowledge and procedures in fight against diseases that are still incurable. Alternative medicine, natural healing treatments and natural cures should meaningfully supplement specialized medicine that is academically studied.
Our health system should encourage responsibility of every citizen for its own health, insure patients’ rights, create conscience for expenses and strengthen personal responsibilities for high medical risks that are accepted by free will and that could be prevented. Health system should be organized on the principle of task division (subsidiarity). It should insure care and treatment in habitual environment as long as it is possible.
It is impossible to live without legal health insurance and also without free choice of doctors and private medicine practices. Medical insurance founds also have responsibility to work economically.
As any other technical innovation, genetic technique brings along great chances and great dangers also. Ethically defined tight limits must be set to procedures into human genetic material.
It is necessary to fight strongly against drug abuse. We advocate social exile of drugs and effective addiction treatments also. Controlled programs for drugs substitute can contribute to reduction of following crimes. Victims of drug abuse should be helped like any other patients. We demand severe punishments for drug dealers.
It should not be overlooked that drug addiction is consequence of escape into illusionary worlds that cannot bring wanted life happiness. Task of society that is aware of responsibilities is to remove causes of this kind of getaways and create optimal preconditions for satisfactory living.
7.3. Nature and environment protection
Nature and environment are living bases of all people and all generations. Usage and preservation of nature and environment must be goal of our policy. Every human being has commitment to give its contribution. We want to fulfill this commitment with sustained way of managing in all branches. According to its possibilities, closed economy complexes should be developed by usage of low-energetic technologies that produce little waste. Sustainable way of managing that considers upcoming generations, demands the new way of thinking and new actions in interrelated systems. Preservation of environment must play important role in all decisions.
Bosnian and Herzegovinian landscape and nature are basis for work and profit. But it also gives people homeland where they can feel good and on which beauty they can be proud of. Preservation of those landscapes is our commitment. Our commitment at the State and international level is to insure living basis for future generations.
Respect for human’s creation also includes respect for other living creatures. Therefore, besides freedom of using animals for human needs there is also related commitment of keeping those animals in adequate conditions and treating them in appropriate way. Planed protection of animal and vegetable species should help in insuring necessary variety of living creatures.
7.4. Leisure and sport
Free usage of time is an expression of freedom. Leisure is a basic living need of human beings. Additional education based on freewill, relaxation and fun, sport and games, widening of horizons and enjoying life through art and culture, cherishing of hobbies, and traveling enrich human being and contribute to development of personality. In order to stimulate increase of life quality in all these fields, politics must create appropriate framework conditions. Institutions for education of adults, art, sport and all kinds of communication, spacious fields and areas for relaxation should be enabled and supported by private initiatives. We declare ourselves for stimulation of high achievements in art and sport, because to this related ideals inspire general thinking about work and effect.
Sport is very important element in the framework of active health policy. Therefore, investments in sport, especially in school sport, should be considered good investments into health systems.
8. EDUCATION AND CULTURE
8.1. Upbringing and education
Upbringing and education are important preconditions for free development of personality, for respecting right on freedom and civil commitments. Upbringing and education must contribute to personal development, must transmit social capabilities and expert knowledge, and also must meet the needs of our society and economic development. Freedom democracy depends on citizens who judge for themselves and are ready to take responsibilities. Upbringing and education have for its goal affirmation of democratic social and legal state and values.
Diversity and efficiency, competition and support must be important elements of our educational system. Foundations of our educational policy are the principle of equality in opportunities and human principal of result. Equality in opportunities requires taking into account diversity of people and their talents, results and social origin. This cannot be accomplished by restriction of opportunities of others, but only by improvement of abilities of each individual. Principle of result demands support to individual so he/she could be given a chance to work and receive earned reward for its work. Effectiveness is criteria for progress and distinction in socially just democratic society. Common education for boys and girls is base for living in partnership, but without ignoring special needs they have.
We advocate harmonization of school programs and educational courses, for shortening educational period and for diversity of educational offers. That is the only way we could keep up with growing demands created by international comparison. Connection of schools and system of labor must be permanent task of politics and economy.
In Europe, that grows more together, knowledge of different cultures, languages and living conditions became unavoidable. In schools, in practical and academic education, this knowledge contributes to tolerance, judgment and understanding among nations. We want to support European exchange at all levels.
Our common society needs, in all fields and at all levels, elite that will invest all its knowledge and skills and will be aware of its responsibilities to others. We advocate promotion of those with special talents, but at the same time we are aware that we need to help those who are feeling overburden and are not able to fulfill social obligations. We need to help those people to arrange their life in their own responsibility. We advocate readjustment of scholarships that would open possibilities for practical and administrative education, including courses for improvement in business.
We advocate differentiated system of education which takes into account diversity in individual interests and talents and which allows change of different school courses. Therefore, we emphasize importance of primary school besides high schools and gymnasiums as independent courses for different professions with its own school diplomas. In order to provide education for students according to their talents and capabilities and to insure diversity and quality of schools, it is necessary when children are choosing further education to take into account, beside parents’ wishes, also school recommendation. Task of school is to transfer general knowledge and education, cultural techniques, language and values.
The school has for its goal also to prepare children for time that comes after education. Schools need to provide free time after classes for development of social and cultural common life. Students and parents need to have certain rights in decision-making process. We advocate introduction of all-day offers on voluntary basis in all forms of school. School helps in introducing children and youth into our society and culture. Teachers have role in upbringing and partnership with family.
8.2. Additional education – professional improvement
Permanent and deep changes in working environment constantly cause new qualification demands. Neither practical nor academic basic knowledge are guarantee for successful execution of profession or for getting appropriate job. Therefore, additional professional training is becoming more important. Labor market and educational system must be closely linked.
8.3. Science and technology
We are convinced that usage of science is by every day more existential condition of modern societies. Science is essential for maintenance and improvement of living conditions, is necessary for education and additional training of qualified young people, as well as for overcoming the problems of our days. For country small as Bosnia and Herzegovina properly educated women and men, the newest technical possibilities and research at the level of international standards play strategic role for its economy among industrial countries. The best investment that country can make for wellbeing and quality of living in society is stimulation of its educational system and researches.
Due to material and intellectual resources, scientific and technological progress can further develop only in international context. International net of universities, construction of research networks and participation in European research and industry programs are assumptions for innovative work, which at the same time insures international competitiveness of Bosnia and Herzegovina. We want progress on the field of technique and science for qualitative further development of society. However, progress cannot jeopardize development of nature and living opportunities for future generations nor violate human dignity.
8.4. New media and telecommunications
As orientation of our economy towards technology and services grows, news broadcasting is becoming more important. Economic development in the world shows that importance of knowledge and information as productive factors and telecommunications as indirect instrument will increase. We want for Bosnia and Herzegovina to follow development of communications in Europe in the context of quality and quantity.
World-wide network of informational and scientific movements and their almost unlimited accessibility are creating extensive approach to educational and cultural opportunities, and at the same time create better living conditions for wide range of population. Beside that, all countries in the world are offered the opportunity to make their cultural and spiritual achievements accessible to other people and to contribute in that way to understanding of nations. Sharing data basis from different spheres of life hide danger for freedom of individual. We want to protect private life of individual and therefore we think that task of politics is to act through legal system where individual responsibility is not sufficient for protection of individual.
8.5. Art and culture
Art and culture should be components of education, which will open horizons to our children and develop our cultural heritage. If Bosnia and Herzegovina as important cultural nation want to ensure its position, then it has to stimulate and demand valuable resources and talents. Practice in art and culture inspires people on self-engagement, engagement with environment and their origin. That contributes not only to discourse and emancipation but also to forming their own homeland.
In these terms, we declare ourselves for culture policy that guarantees free cultural development. Culture policy should except and support existing cultural pluralism and also moments of resistance and freewill in artistic creativity having for subject social conflicts. An artist works for society, and society needs work of artist. Expenses for culture are worth investments in creativity and ability of innovations in society.
Culture defines identity of country and its people. Culture is also a historical tradition so as an expression of life of people in the presence. It develops in various forms and institutions and also determines the way we live together. Common life in every day larger Europe and even in more interwoven world forces us on cultural reflections. Essential goal of Bosnian and Herzegovian culture policy must be explanation of identity of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Europe and expression of intellectual forces of our country.
State stimulation of culture must not lead to dependence of those who create culture. Stimulation of culture is not only task of the State. We wish to support private sponsors and encourage them with task relief. Private artistic initiatives are necessary for vitality and diversity of culture.
9. HOMELAND IN EUROPE AND WORLD
9.1. Bosnia and Herzegovina in Europe
We declare ourselves for Europe which unity is based on common historical experiences and values directed towards achievements, but also on rich diversity of national and regional traditions of its peoples and groups.
We are convinced, as were the democrat founders and organizers of European unification, that the process of European integration is the safest guarantee for European liberation from aggressive and combative nationalism and chauvinism.
Europe is at the same time our heritage and our task. In sight of many shared relations between peoples and nations of continent, and in sight of two world wars and systematic mass killing of people, which both started in Europe, we see in European family of nations important guarantee of peace in Europe and wider.
We declare ourselves for continuance of outgoing process of economic integration that is first of all directed towards political union that rests on basic values of peace, democracy, human rights, legal state and eco-social market economy. We want, in the spirit of people’s parties, to participate in building that kind of union – in Bosnia and Herzegovina and in European People’s Party.
We want for European economic and monetary union to come true. We want for big European Union to develop and become true political community as well as secure, environmental and social European community.
As convinced followers of idea of federal state organization we advocate European Union built according to the rules of federalism and tasks division (subsidiarity), which includes regions and municipalities into that process of integration.
We wish European Union in which people in their local communities can create their homeland, protection, their spiritual orientation and moral connection. People who live in the Union should be able to see themselves as citizens of their domestic region, their homeland and as Europeans.
European unity will have permanent success only if great majority of his citizens has trust in it. Politicians and institutions of European Union must constantly make efforts to win that trust. Establishment of democratic institutions in European Union as well as division of tasks among member states, regions and municipalities is assumption for strengthening that trust.
9.2. International security
The prior task of our security policy is preserving independence of Bosnia and Herzegovina and integrity of its state area and peace in freedom for all its citizens. In united Europe security of Bosnia and Herzegovina is included in comprehensive security of European Union. European security is also our security and Bosnia and Herzegovina must give adequate contribution to European security.
Security of our country depends on quality of our personal efforts, but also on how well it will manage to use stability operations of European security systems for Bosnia and Herzegovina. Bosnia and Herzegovina cannot assume that, in case of need, it will be defended by members of European security community, while it contributes little or nothing to common safety.
Our European security strategy must be oriented towards current challenges and possibilities. We advocate participation of Bosnia and Herzegovina in establishment of all-European security system and defense in scope of its material and financial possibilities.
9.3. Bosnia and Herzegovina in the world
With our politics, Bosnia and Herzegovina will no longer be burden to the international community, but will become constructive element of development and progress in the whole world.
10. POLICY OF CREDIBILITY
Program principles of People’s Party “Radom za boljitak” define objectives and principles of our policy in XXI century. We, in the People’s Party, are committed to these principles as to measure and orientation in our politics.
Our members and officials at all political levels will implement our program in the years to come. This does not exclude possibility that new development of situation will demand correction and focusing on new tasks.
We are not afraid of examination of our policies. People’s Party “Radom za boljitak” will be responsible for implementation of its program and will, through its reports, inform the Party and public about results.
Political credibility is based on reliability and openness. We, in People’s Party, invite all interested, regardless to are they Party members or not, to think together with us about our country future. We are trying to arouse interest and criticism, cooperation and support. We know that working together for free and open society in Bosnia and Herzegovina is worth it.
President of People’s Party “Radom za boljitak”
Mladen Ivanković-Lijanović