DODIK: ABUSE OF BiH CONSTITUTIONAL STRUCTURE UNACCEPTABLE

ISTOČNO SARAJEVO, JANUARY 15 /SRNA/ – SNSD leader Milorad Dodik has stated tonight in Istočno Sarajevo that the Serb people cannot accept the abuse of BiH’s constitutional arrangement, as it threatens the rights of Serbs as a constituent people and the entity in which they are the majority.

"On the other hand, it is well known that Croats, as a constituent people, are prevented from having proper representation in institutions to secure their status," Dodik told journalists after a meeting with HDZ BiH leader Dragan Čović, adding that many other problems stem from this issue.

Dodik emphasized that the two parties maintain correct cooperation and a high degree of mutual understanding on open questions.

"We are focused on resolving issues that make life easier. The conduct in regard to the Indirect Taxation Authority of BiH is absolutely unacceptable, where an expert from the Federation of BiH blocked the opening of a new border crossing in Gradiška out of whim, out of hatred towards Republika Srpska and Serbs, and apparently also against his own people," Dodik said.

According to him, this shows how BiH can lack logic and sense if a single person can prevent free border crossing.

"Someone calculated that traffic flow could be almost 80 percent faster than at present, yet this expert still caused the disruption he did. We don’t yet know how this will be resolved, but I had to note that this behavior from the FBiH is unacceptable, and everything should be done to open the new border crossing," Dodik said.

Dodik stressed that he is personally uninterested in BiH-level matters, but, given his position as party president, he must be involved in certain issues.

"We are not interested in anything happening at the BiH level for various reasons. Strategically, we consider all European matters meaningless at this time, given Europe’s declining influence and uncertainty about its future," Dodik said.

He also pointed to meaninglessness of the transfer of powers from Republika Srpska to the joint level in the name of alleged European integration, noting that this would have been pointless in the past and is especially so now.

"What if the European Union collapses? Will they return all the powers taken from us in the name of Europe? Of course not. And then you need the consent of the Muslims, which you will never get," Dodik said.

Dodik explained that the party’s political position allows dialogue on certain issues, with Serb Presidency member Željka Cvijanović, Deputy Chair of the Council of Ministers Staša Košarac, and Serb representatives in the House of Representatives and House of Peoples handling them.

He pointed out that Sarajevo’s maneuvers are not working.

"They started with the fourth SNSD delegate, through the disqualification of the Republic’s president, and now we hear that we are not allowed to say 'joint bodies' for institutions that are in fact meaningless, not joint, however you call them," Dodik said.

"This reflects their mentality. I believe they have lost a significant position regarding their complaints to the world about being 'threatened,' which has now been exposed as a decades-long lie invented by Bosniak political representatives who are not ready to discuss substantive issues," Dodik pointed out.

He said that Republika Srpska’s priority is that BiH, "as it exists, weak as it is," functions according to the Constitution.

"This means returning jurisdictions taken from Republika Srpska, and that has long been our proclaimed goal. We have not said it will happen overnight, as it does not depend solely on us, but it remains our most important objective," Dodik added.

When it comes to Croat interests, Dodik said that their priority is the ability, through the Election Law, to elect their authentic representative.