VIŠKOVIĆ: I HOPE "EXPERT" KRNJIĆ WATCHED APOCALYPTIC SCENES FROM GRADIŠKA

BANJA LUKA, JANUARY 14 /SRNA/ – The apocalyptic scenes witnessed at the Gradiška and Gradina border crossings last weekend would not have occurred had the new crossing in Čatrnja and the bridge over the Sava River toward Croatia been opened a little more than a month ago, Acting Director General of Motorways of Republika Srpska Radovan Višković told SRNA.

Višković said he sincerely hopes that Zijad Krnjić, the so-called expert of the FBiH Government on the Governing Board of the Indirect Taxation Authority /ITA/ of BiH, who stubbornly refused in December to give consent to amendments to certain rulebooks, also watched these scenes.

"Endless, kilometer-long vehicle queues, hours-long waiting times, freezing temperatures, dramatic fuel depletion, the almost deafening sound of car horns, shouting, noise, dissatisfaction, impatience, uncertainty and despair on people's faces are scenes that went around the world last weekend," Višković said.

He added that by refusing consent, Krnjić prevented the opening and start of operations of the new border crossing at the very moment when Croatia was planning to open a newly built crossing on its own territory.

Višković stressed that because of a simple administrative procedure, "expert" Krnjić turned the lives of hundreds of citizens into hell, not only those from Republika Srpska, but also from the FBiH, who had decided to spend the New Year and Christmas holidays in their homeland.

"Had they known what awaited them upon returning to their temporary places of residence and work, I believe none of them would have decided to travel to their homeland at the end of December," Višković assessed.

He added that the scenes from Gradiška and Gradina speak more clearly than any words about what BiH would look like if political Sarajevo, primarily the Bosniak political elite, were in charge.

"Everything that is in the interest of Republika Srpska and its citizens is seen in Sarajevo as an opportunity for a new blockade, a new obstruction, and further delays. It was precisely on the project of the bridge over the Sava River that it became clear that what is a top priority for Republika Srpska is of no concern at all to BiH," Višković said.

He recalled that Republika Srpska waited a decade and a half for that bridge, as it was mostly collateral in relations between Sarajevo and Zagreb.

"Unfortunately, even more than three years after construction was completed, the bridge over the Sava remains a bargaining chip and a subject of blackmail by official Sarajevo, primarily directed at Banja Luka," Višković believes.

He said that Republika Srpska has no information on whether amendments to the rulebooks will once again be on the agenda of the next session of the ITA Governing Board, nor whether "expert" Krnjić will finally change his position.

"We know that we have done everything on our part to ensure that the motorway network gains a direct connection to the European transport network, thereby significantly increasing toll revenues and traffic frequency on our motorway sections. How long we will continue to be victims of so-called experts and ill-intentioned Bosniak political leadership is a question to which we have no answer," Višković concluded.