KALINIĆ: STATE-BUILDING POLICIES OF SNSD WON

PALE, OCTOBER 9 /SRNA/ - Former President of the National Assembly of Republika Srpska Dragan Kalinić said that it was important for Srpska that the state-building and state-preserving policies of Milorad Dodik's SNSD and its coalition partners had won the elections, as they would make it self-sustaining politically and economically and even more independent in making decisions concerning its future.

"Anything else would have been a high-risk policy for Srpska, prone to ambiguity and numerous controversies, and vulnerable to manipulation by domestic, Sarajevo-based and certain Western centers of power," Kalinić told SRNA.

He stressed that the politically mature will of the majority of the people had prevailed, as they had refused to put the future of their state and their children at risk for four years.

"That is why the winners of these elections bear enormous responsibility and an obligation to fulfil the promises made during the campaign and deal with the 'troublemakers in their own ranks' who could tarnish this clear and, in many respects, historic victory," Kalinić said.

According to him, the integrity of this victory, paradoxically, was confirmed by the new voting system, which backfired precisely on those who had enthusiastically advocated its introduction, such as the SDS.

"It came back to haunt them like a boomerang and confirmed suspicions that it was parts of the opposition that had been stealing votes in previous elections that were held repeatedly," Kalinić believes.

He stressed that Željka Cvijanović's victory as the Serb member of the BiH Presidency, which he described as tantamount to a political tsunami, showed that the Serb people clearly understood the broader context of the struggle to secure understanding and support for Republika Srpska's position in BiH and on the international stage.

"Cvijanović now has an even broader mandate to continue, together with Dodik and with statesmanlike wisdom, winning new foreign friends and attracting investment to Republika Srpska," Kalinić said.

He pointed out that Savo Minić's victory in the race for President of Republika Srpska was the result of a well-designed approach to voters, among whom Minić had established himself in a very short time as a president close to the people, ready to listen with empathy and help ordinary people, their families, war veterans and persons with disabilities, young people and socially vulnerable groups wherever possible.

SNSD, he added, had also achieved an excellent result and dominated at the BiH level.

"Above all, this is important for defending Srpska's interests, particularly regarding property, against the still insatiable appetites of the unitarist political establishment. It is also important for restoring the original Dayton Agreement through the creation of parliamentary mechanisms to annul numerous usurpatory decisions by High Representatives, so that powers taken away by force or under duress can be returned," Kalinić said.

He expressed hope that the previously proclaimed partnership between SNSD and HDZ BiH, through coordination with authentic Croatian representatives, would also be used for that purpose.

"In any case, the strong victory of the SNSD-led coalition ensures peace, stability and economic development, which will make Republika Srpska self-sustaining politically and economically and even more independent in making decisions concerning its future," Kalinić concluded.