DODIK: EUROPEAN PATH POSSIBLE WHEN BRUSSELS ACCEPTS SRPSKA WITHIN ITS CONSTITUTIONAL CAPACITY

BANJA LUKA, OCTOBER 14 /SRNA/ – President Milorad Dodik says he is ready for the European path once Brussels accepts Republika Srpska in its constitutional capacity, as provided for by the BiH Constitution.

"We want equal treatment; we want a European path on which Republika Srpska will be visible," Dodik said, pointing out that Belgium, Germany, Austria and Spain are organised as complex states, as is the case with BiH.

Dodik emphasized that the EU had seriously violated the Constitution of BiH, particularly to the detriment of the Serbs and Republika Srpska.

"The EU’s policy towards us has been arrogant, we have faced a complete disrespect. The measures coming from Brussels were designed in Sarajevo and then sent back to us for implementation. It has been difficult throughout all these years. Today, we are neither naive nor irrational," Dodik said.

Regarding local issues, Dodik said they could be discussed with the EU, but only in a certain manner.

"If they wish, we can talk to them and explain what is possible and what is not, rather than having them send us 14 recommendations, including the adoption of a law on the Constitutional Court, and then tell us that this can also be done at the end of the process. No, it should be done at the beginning of the process. It is in our interest for this to happen at the beginning," Dodik said.

He pointed to numerous examples of abuse involving foreign judges.

"One example is that an Albanian judge on the Constitutional Court of BiH lived together with a Muslim judge at the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. They then came up with the argument that my appeal against unconstitutional and unlawful conduct was inadmissible before the court in Strasbourg," Dodik said.

Regarding the European Commission’s 14 recommendations, Dodik said that three laws concerning the judiciary would not be adopted in their proposed form.

"We are calling for a comprehensive review of the entire system of courts and prosecutors’ offices at the level of BiH, while they want to give renewed legitimacy to the Court of BiH and the Prosecutor’s Office of BiH. That will certainly not happen. However, we are ready to talk. The European value is the Constitution of BiH, not their invented narrative about rules," Dodik told RTRS.

He emphasized that the Court of BiH and the Prosecutor’s Office of BiH could continue to exist on the condition of not being political persecution against many people in BiH.

"These are rigged institutions that convict people for raising three fingers and congratulating General Ratko Mladić on his birthday. The EU cannot claim that this is a European value," Dodik said.