MAZALICA: DODIK SHOWED WILLINGNESS TO SACRIFICE HIS POSITION FOR STABILITY, OPPOSITION ONLY NEEDED TO PROVE IT WASN'T POWER-HUNGRY

BANJA LUKA, SEPTEMBER 30 /SRNA/ - Head of the SNSD Caucus in the National Assembly of Republika Srpska Srđan Mazalica told SRNA that the President of Srpska Milorad Dodik has shown that, unlike the opposition, he is willing to sacrifice his position for the sake of stability and the smooth functioning of the Republic, while the opposition did not have to sacrifice anything - only to demonstrate that it was not power-hungry at any cost, including coming to power on the wings of Christian Schmidt.

"The President of the Republic announced that the SNSD Caucus will propose to the National Assembly to appoint an acting President of the Republic. This is neither an easy nor a simple decision, and it was proposed by a man whose mandate would end with such a decision," Mazalica said.

He added that SNSD, led by Dodik, presented arguments why Republika Srpska would be destabilized by dual authority and the election of a president who would not be recognized by the National Assembly, but would be recognized by the Central Election Commission and other institutions.

"We did not want to embark on such an adventure without the opposition, and they immediately rejected both a government of national unity and a joint boycott of elections," Mazalica stated.

The SNSD Main Board yesterday unanimously decided at its session in Banja Luka that the party will participate in the early elections for President of Republika Srpska.

Dodik said that the party should as soon as possible propose in the National Assembly of Republika Srpska a decision to appoint an acting President of Srpska until the early elections.