SARAJEVO -- Several hundred people demonstrated in Sarajevo on March 31 against Christian Schmidt, the international community’s high representative in Bosnia-Herzegovina, over decisions he made last year affecting Bosnia’s elections law.
The protesters demanded that Schmidt be dismissed, that embassies, namely the U.S. Embassy, stop interfering in the internal affairs of Bosnia, and that "neighboring countries Croatia and Serbia do not shape the fate of [Bosnia]."
The protesters also accused Schmidt, who leads the Office of the High Representative (OHR), and U.S. Ambassador Michael Murphy of bias.
The protest, which took place in front of Schmidt's office, was organized by the informal citizen group Restart and the nongovernmental organization Krug 99. Participants arrived by bus from several cities to take part in the protest, which blocked traffic.
Some demonstrators held up signs that read in English: "Schmidt go away, OHR stay!"
The rally was peaceful, according to Bosnian media.
Before the protest, Schmidt said on Twitter, "Peaceful demonstrations are a fundamental right in a democracy and of crucial importance for a pluralistic society."
The protesters expressed dissatisfaction with Schmidt’s decision on election night in October when he invoked his UN backed so-called “Bonn powers” minutes after the polls closed. Schmidt said he was taking the steps to avoid gridlock in key institutions after the vote, but critics said the moves strengthened the position of Croat nationalists.
Schmidt said his "functionality package" would shape indirect elections to the Bosniak-Croat federation's legislature while dramatically restricting officials' ability to block legislative appointments and other processes.
His changes include an increase in the size of the federation's House of Peoples to "correct overrepresentation" of some ethnic groups and the inclusion of "others" to be represented there -- code in Bosnia for minorities outside the main Bosniak, Serb, and Croat peoples.
The people who protested in Sarajevo on March 31 believe Schmidt imposed the changes so the role of the Croatian Democratic Union in forming the government becomes inevitable.