“Due to baseless statements undermining the security, the Club of Deputies of the SNSD (Alliance of Independent Social Democrats) and the Serbian Club in the House of Representatives of the Parliamentary Assembly of BiH will request the dismissal of the Minister of Defense, Zukan Helez, at the Council of Ministers.
Serbian member of the Presidency, Željka Cvijanović, will demand information about Helez’s statements regarding alleged paramilitary formations and training camps on the territory of Republika Srpska during the session tomorrow.
The Presidency should also discuss the appointment of General Gojko Knežević as the Chief of the Joint Staff of the Armed Forces of BiH.
The Intelligence-Security Agency, SIPA, and the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Republika Srpska should investigate the claims made by Defense Minister Zukan Helez about the existence of alleged paramilitary camps and training sites in the areas of Rogatica and Mount Maglić. This information will be requested by the Presidency upon the initiative of Serbian member, Željka Cvijanović.
“I proposed to include this point on the agenda because I want to clarify things and say, ‘Where is this information you are claiming, Mr. Helez? Where is it written what you assert in public, or come out for an interview and throw out some bombastic sentences, and then the entire public here, but also the international community, is intrigued,'” said Cvijanović.
Both the Security Ministry (OBa) previously refuted Helez’s claims. They informed the Chairperson of the Council of Ministers, Borjana Krišto, that they do not possess any information about military training camps in Republika Srpska.
Due to the dissemination of panic and undermining security, Serbian representatives in the Parliament of BiH will seek the removal of Zukan Helez from the position of Minister of Defense.”
“The Club of Deputies of the SNSD from the Serbian Club will initiate a motion for the dismissal of Minister Helez due to frivolous, irresponsible statements that sow fear and hatred among the people. This is our obligation and responsibility, and we will act on it starting tomorrow,” said Sanja Vulić, Chief of the Club of Deputies of the SNSD in the House of Representatives of the Parliamentary Assembly of BiH.
If he is not dismissed, there will be no necessary consent from the SNSD for decisions in the defense sector. Stasha Košarac, Deputy Chairperson of the Council of Ministers, will play a key role.
“Since I know Stasha Košarac personally, and he belongs to my party, no decision in the Council of Ministers related to defense will pass while Helez is the minister,” stated Milorad Dodik, President of Republika Srpska and President of the SNSD.
Aleksandar Goganović, Deputy Minister of Defense in the Council of Ministers, emphasized his support for the President of Republika Srpska.
“I will not give consent to any decision coming from the Ministry of Defense to the Council of Ministers. However, all state officials in the Ministry of Defense, all members of the Armed Forces of BiH, need not worry, all regular activities in the Ministry of Defense will proceed as usual,” he added.
SDS’s Milan Milićević highlighted that the aim of Helez’s misinformation is falsely projecting problems of the Federation onto Republika Srpska. He pointed out the contradictory media appearances of Sarajevo ministers.
“These statements are very interesting when compared to yesterday’s statement by the Minister of Internal Affairs of the FBiH, who says that the security situation is satisfactory. I think they haven’t agreed whether it is satisfactory or not,” said Milićević.
Not only is Helez using the opportunity to divert attention from the fact that the Federation is a refuge for Islamic terrorist groups, but according to Đevad Galijašević, an expert in security and terrorism, he is also undermining the authority of EUFOR.
“Now we see that he is attacking EUFOR in its entirety, implying that they have poor assessments, that they don’t know about military camps, that some Western services are working behind their backs, and that partner services from NATO come to BiH because they don’t trust EUFOR and the EUFOR command,” emphasized Galijašević.
The Presidency of BiH should also decide on the appointment of a new Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of BiH. General Gojko Knežević has been proposed for this role. He is expected to replace Senad Mašović, whose mandate expired in March last year.
“We have certain information that there will be obstruction when it comes to the election of generals, that is, their appointment in accordance with the law. There is obstruction because there is again an attempt to prevent a Serb from leading the Joint Staff of the Armed Forces,” said Cvijanović.
Defense Minister in the Council of Ministers, Nenad Nešić, emphasizes that if Knežević is not elected as the Chief of the Armed Forces at the tomorrow’s Presidency session, it will once again show ‘that BiH is an impossible state, that Bosniaks are persistently working to undermine BiH.’
If the Serbian member of the Presidency is outvoted, the Republika Srpska Parliament will prepare a response.
“Whatever Željka Cvijanović votes for will be supported in the National Assembly of Republika Srpska, so nothing will happen there without our consent. If they try without our will, they will get a response from the National Assembly,” stated Nenad Stevandić, President of the National Assembly of Republika Srpska.
Cvijanović announced that she will initiate the consideration by the BiH Presidency of information regarding radical Islamic phenomena in BiH in the upcoming period.”
