President of Republika Srpska, Milorad Dodik, stated that there is no group for secession in Republika Srpska, dismissing such claims as fabrications.
- “This is an invention. They conspired to fabricate this narrative,” Dodik said, responding to the sanctions imposed by the previous U.S. administration on Republika Srpska officials over alleged efforts to form a group advocating for secession.
Dodik reiterated his support for the original Dayton Agreement and a Bosnia and Herzegovina where all parties are respected.
- “The problem with Bosniak and Muslim politics in BiH is their pursuit of domination to subordinate others, rather than ensuring equality within the framework provided by Dayton,” Dodik told Face TV.
He criticized Bosniak political leaders for marginalizing Croats to the extent of rendering them politically irrelevant.
- “You dismantled their parity in the federal government, leaving them powerless and feeling neglected and endangered. Bosniaks have done nothing to understand Croats, instead continuing their dominance over both Croats and Serbs,” he added.
Dodik accused Bosniak leaders of manipulating courts and the judiciary and refusing to relinquish control, stating that such actions prevent the creation of a functional BiH.
“In Sarajevo, they would applaud if we didn’t exist,” Dodik remarked.
On the European Union and Republika Srpska’s rights
Dodik noted that Republika Srpska is not opposed to EU integration but demands recognition and visibility similar to other complex states.
- “Rationally speaking, it’s becoming evident that the primary goal is to erase Republika Srpska. If that’s the aim, why is it such an outrage when we say we’re not interested in that path? We want to be visible in the EU, and currently, we are not,” Dodik stated.
He added that political Sarajevo lacks the capacity to build a functional state, blaming its leaders for decades of mismanagement and subservience to foreign actors.
“Your easiest excuse is to blame me while ignoring those who have been deceiving you for 30 years,” he said.
Constitutional issues and judiciary criticism
Dodik emphasized that Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Constitutional Court should ensure that laws align with the Constitution but has failed to do so.
- “The Constitution doesn’t mention courts, intelligence agencies, the Prosecutor’s Office, or the army under BiH jurisdiction. A professional Constitutional Court would rule that these lack constitutional basis, but it hasn’t,” he asserted.
Response to potential conviction
Dodik warned of political measures if the BiH Court convicts him.
“If I’m convicted, we will adopt our own election law and legislate that BiH’s Court and Prosecutor’s Office will no longer be recognized in Republika Srpska,” Dodik said.
He described the trial against him as unnecessary but vowed to attend the BiH Court to bring the “farce” to an end.
- “Political Sarajevo believes it’s acceptable to convict the president of Republika Srpska based on a foreigner who rewrites their laws,” Dodik said.
Dodik assured that no harm would come to anyone if convicted but warned against underestimating Republika Srpska’s resolve.
The BiH Court has scheduled the continuation of Dodik’s trial on Wednesday, January 29, for alleged “non-compliance with the decisions of Christian Schmidt.”
Source: RTRS
