KOVAČEVIĆ: SNSD HAS ALWAYS BEEN AND WILL REMAIN SERB PEOPLE’S CHOICE

BANJA LUKA, DECEMBER 27 /SRNA/ – SNSD has always been and will remain the choice of the Serb people and Republika Srpska citizens, said the party’s spokesperson Radovan Kovačević.

Kovačević stated that SNSD has no positive expectations from the Central Election Commission /CEC/, the Court, or the Prosecutor’s Office of BiH, noting that their main superior is Christian Schmidt, while their allies are the opposition from Republika Srpska.

“We regret that there are people from Republika Srpska who are part of such a conspiracy and who are ready to overthrow the electoral will of the Republika Srpska people,” Kovačević told ATV, commenting on the appeal against the CEC decision to annul the presidential elections in Republika Srpska at 136 polling stations.

He recalled that the Republika Srpska citizens elected the Republika Srpska president back in 2022, namely Milorad Dodik, and that the occupying ruler Schmidt put him in a position to choose between himself or the people and the Constitution of Srpska.

“Dodik respected his people and the Constitution, and protected the interests of Srpska and its citizens. Then Schmidt imposed a law, gave orders to the Court and the Prosecutor’s Office, which persecuted him and took office away from him. The people once again voted and elected the SNSD candidate Siniša Karan, who won with more than 10,000 vote difference,” Kovačević said.

He has added that elections were now annulled at 136 polling stations in order to put into the lead a candidate who is not Republika Srpska people’s choice.

“These are the things we in Srpska are facing. We have always won based on the will of the people and we will continue to win. Their goal is for us to get tired and say ‘Here, we won’t do it anymore.’ But we will vote as many times as necessary for them to understand that only the people of Republika Srpska can choose,” Kovačević emphasized.

He believes that the people will recognize this as just another in a series of attacks on their will and Republika Srpska.

“I believe the people will once again choose themselves and the protection of their rights by turning out in even greater numbers and voting for Siniša Karan,” Kovačević said.

He has added that it is not known when repeat elections might be held at the disputed polling stations, asking how it is possible that only the polling stations where Karan won are considered problematic.

He also believes that the goal of this entire situation is the complete destabilization of Republika Srpska.

“They want to keep it in a kind of vacuum where we do not know whether the president of the Republic will be elected. They will do everything they can so that the president is someone other than the will of the Srpska people, to undermine the legitimacy of the Government, for an imposed president to dissolve the National Assembly, and for Republika Srpska to fall into chaos,” Kovačević warned.

He stressed that Republika Srpska has always had institutional stability, that institutions were always formed on time, and that the most important documents were being adopted.

“We plan next year to have a new economic momentum, to invest in investments, infrastructure, and everything that is important for citizens - more than four billion BAM. Now imagine someone stopping all that, when you cannot increase salaries or pensions. That is all part of a scenario for Republika Srpska, but it will not succeed,” Kovačević emphasized.

He reiterated that SNSD expects a convincing victory.

Kovačević noted that SNSD has always won in Laktaši, where the opposition did not even have a candidate in last year’s local elections, that it won mayoral positions in Doboj and Zvornik, and that now Karan’s victory in these local communities is being called into question.

“They targeted exclusively the places where our candidate achieved the largest vote margin, in order to annul it and give some kind of advantage to someone who is not the choice of the people,” Kovačević said.

He concluded that Republika Srpska must not grow tired of winning and that, despite problems and difficulties caused by attacks and pressure, it must remain on its course of increasing war veterans allowances, disability allowances, salaries, pensions, and improving the living standard and quality of life of its citizens.