STEVANDIĆ: CRISIS BEGAN WHEN DODIK REFUSED TO TRADE PROPERTY

BANJA LUKA, August 22 /SRNA/ - Speaker of the National Assembly of Republika Srpska Nenad Stevandić stated that the crisis was initiated by Christian Schmidt, whose actions were directed against the property of Republika Srpska, and assessed that opposition claims that the government in Republika Srpska is responsible for the escalation of the conflict are merely giving alibis to political Sarajevo.

"The crisis began when Milorad Dodik refused to trade the property of Republika Srpska. What we are living through now began when Dodik would not make such deals. History will judge that," Stevandić said during the debate on the Information regarding the verdict of the Court of BiH handed down to the President of Republika Srpska and the decision of the Central Election Commission of BiH on the termination of the mandate of President of Republika Srpska Milorad Dodik, as well as the position of the National Assembly on the future activities of the institutions of Republika Srpska.

He said that the opposition's claims that the government in Republika Srpska is to blame for the escalation of the conflict are not correct and that this only provides alibis to political Sarajevo.

"Self-defense is not escalation. How many times have we called for unity, while they have called for conflict!? It is not right to give them alibis," Stevandić stressed.

He said that Sarajevo is attempting to present the verdict against President of Republika Srpska Milorad Dodik as a judicial process based on law, even though it is in fact the gravest violation of domestic and international law.

He added that the strengthening of Republika Srpska is being obstructed by Sarajevo's cooperation with the opposition in Srpska.

"For them it is a technical question of how to turn the opposition into some kind of combat variant, and I tell you this as a brother. It is your right not to accept any cooperation and to continue insulting the institutions," Stevandić said.