Republika Srpska (RS) is not a country, it is by no means the least indebted in the region, and it is not without the hungry people either. Thus, this implies that this entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) is certainly not without social challenges.
Milorad Dodik, a member of the BiH Presidency and the leader of the leading party in RS, the Alliance of Independent Social Democrats (SNSD), presented the opposite theses at a press conference in Istocno Sarajevo on August 24th, after the end of the Presidency session. Radio Free Europe (RSE) checked whether Dodik’s statements were true.
“RS is the least indebted country”
False.
RS is not a country.
In the Constitution of BiH, RS is a constitutional category that is internationally recognized within its borders. It represents one of its two entities.
‘There are no hungry people in the RS’
“There are no hungry people in RS. That is a lie. It is an absolute lie. There are people who are in a state of social need, but they are not hungry.”
False.
There are 15 public kitchens in the RS, where about 3.500 users are fed.
The Association of Citizens “Mosaic of Friendship” (”Mozaik prijateljstva”) in Banja Luka prepares around 700 meals a day.
They point out that there are even more than 1.000 meals on weekends, because then food packages are also delivered to those who cannot physically reach the public kitchen.
“RS has no social challenges”
“The RS is in a good situatiion, and I am fully prepared to present and show that argument to all the people. There are no social challenges in the RS.”
False
“People don’t move from a country that is doing very well, and in which economy is good. Even more, others come to it to work and earn money. In addition, we do not have a pro-natal policy, despite the negative natural increase. I would say that the RS is in very big social, demographic and economic problems,” believes Pavlovic.
According to the data of the Statistical Office of the RS, since 2002, the natural increase of the RS has been negative. The rate of natural increase in 2021 was -8.6.
Birth rate means the total number of births for a certain area in a certain time interval. It is expressed as the total number of births per 1.000 inhabitants of a certain area during one calendar year, RSE writes.
E.Dz.
