The topic of Radio Free Europe (RSE) discussion was what are the chances of the opposition in Republika Srpska (RS) to win the October elections and end Milorad Dodik’s rule, which has lasted for almost two decades. The interlocutors were Tanja Topic, a political analyst from Banja Luka, and Drasko Acimovic, an economist and former diplomat also from Banja Luka.
There was talk about whether the opposition has fallen into Dodik’s trap again, and is competing with him to be the greater guardian of RS, how opposition leaders are trying to convince the public that Dodik, as a member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), did not impose sanctions that BiHdeclaratively introduced to Russia while at the same time Russian President Putin receives Dodik, and Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov declares that he is a friend of Russia and why the opposition competes with the ruling party in adulation of Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic.
Also, it was discussed why the opposition, after the very successful anti-corruption rally in October last year, did not have any major action of this type, whether it was influenced by the fact that in the meantime it was discovered that Mirko Sarovic, the president of the largest opposition party, has apartments in Belgrade that are not reported whether the opposition has a program to help the most oppressed part of the population at a time when inflation is raging, as well as about which of the opposition candidates for the highest positions has the best chances in the October elections.
Omer Karabeg: Although the pre-election campaign has not officially started yet, both the opposition and the ruling coalition are already heavily involved in the campaign. What was the start of the opposition?
Tanja Topic: It seems to me that the opposition is always taking a step backwards. It has been in a defensive position for years. They are constantly trying to wash themselves clean, to show that they are not traitors, that they are good patriots. This constant effort to return to the ethno-national space – which for them was lost forever because it passed into the hands of Dodik’s party – makes them quite unconvincing.
Omer Karabeg: Opposition leaders spent a lot of time convincing the public that Dodik did not prevent the sanctions that BiH declaratively imposed on Russia.
They say this at the moment when Russian President Putin receives Dodik in St. Petersburg and says that he is glad to see him, and when Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov declares that Dodik is a friend of Russia. Who will believe the opposition’s claims?
Tanja Topic: Russian aggression against Ukraine and attitude towards Russian sanctions will certainly be big topics in the election campaign. It should be said that some of the opposition politicians, primarily from the Party of Democratic Progress, quite shyly welcomed the United Nations (UN) Resolution condemning the aggression against Ukraine, but only after Serbia voted for that resolution. They hid behind the position of the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic.
Omer Karabeg: Is it actually because of the strong pro-Russian mood of the voters in RS that the opposition competes with Dodik who is bigger supporter of Putin and Russia?
Drasko Acimovic: That is the biggest mistake. They should have told the people the truth. You know what the truth is, you can see what the truth is. You can see the tragedy caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. If nothing else, they could go from town to town and talk to people, tell them what was happening in Ukraine, RSE writes.
E.Dz.
