President of the National Assembly of Republika Srpska, Nenad Stevandić, stated this morning that the attempted arrest of Republika Srpska President Milorad Dodik by SIPA was a deliberate attempt to provoke incidents, following a series of failed political efforts against Dodik and the leadership of Srpska.
“We are slowly gaining international attention, explaining that (High Representative) Christian Schmidt has undermined the Dayton Agreement. People are beginning to understand that one man has been enacting laws to prosecute those he personally dislikes. Now, having no other means left, they are resorting to provoking incidents. This was one such attempt—to push us into reacting aggressively, but instead, we saw them off like uninvited guests,” Stevandić said for TV Prva.
He described the current atmosphere in political Sarajevo as “a state of complete collective hysteria in its worst form.”
“These developments feel like they’re from 1941 or 1942. Then you have Schmidt using Nazi methods, trying to confiscate property from political parties and seize their legally allocated funds. That’s how the Nazis seized property from Jews. But this will not heal the wounds of the people in Sarajevo. Their appetites are megalomaniacal. They fail to realize that they themselves are the main reason Bosnia and Herzegovina has never developed any shared values—whether fan-based, professional, ethical, moral, or territorial,” Stevandić emphasized.
When asked how he expects the current situation regarding the warrant for him and Dodik to be resolved, Stevandić responded that he expects a peaceful resolution.
“We are the only ones who said it’s not up to us to choose whether we negotiate or not—that is our obligation. We have left the door open for dialogue, including about the violations of law and the actions of the ‘High Representative’, who lacks UN Security Council approval. We are open to discussions with colleagues from the Federation. They think their problems will be solved by EUFOR, Schmidt, and SIPA, which is completely illusory. At this moment, as political losers, they are resorting to methods on the edge of violence. We have no reason to feel unfree,” said Stevandić.
He stated that Republika Srpska will remain stable and continue to operate on the international level, adding that 63 members of parliaments around the world have received his letter about the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
When asked whether Dodik will attend the May 9 parade in Moscow, Stevandić said he sees no reason why Dodik shouldn’t go. As for the possibility of EUFOR becoming involved in any conflict in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Stevandić noted that EUFOR has stated it does not interfere in domestic jurisdiction.
“That suits us perfectly. In case of any attack or conflict, they are positioned along the Inter-Entity Boundary Line. That line is the only internationally verified border in Europe since World War II. Those who want to play at war can do so on their side of the boundary—on our side, there will be peace,” Stevandić concluded.
Source: RTRS
