Sarajevo has in recent days been the scene of large-scale protests, with citizens demanding accountability following a tragic tram accident in which 23-year-old Erdoan Morankić was killed and 17-year-old Ella Jovanović seriously injured.
Citizens took to the streets to express anger over what they described as the irresponsible conduct of the competent authorities and systemic safety failures in public transport.
At the same time, leaders of several political parties, including the Social Democratic Party (SDP), People and Justice (NiP), the Movement for Democratic Action (PDA), the People’s European Union (NES), and Forward (Naprijed), are set to sign an agreement in Banja Luka on a joint appearance in the general elections in Republika Srpska.
In strongly worded messages, largely coming from the Alliance of Independent Social Democrats (SNSD), it has been claimed that the leaders of these parties are travelling to Republika Srpska to transfer “chaos and unrest.”
The president of SNSD, Milorad Dodik, wrote on the social media platform X that “Banja Luka will not be your refuge from the anger of the people, a cover for your amateurism, nor a place where you will wash the blood of people from Jablanica, Tuzla and Sarajevo off your hands, those who suffered due to your incompetence and arrogance.”
Dodik further described them as “pre-war communists” who, he claimed, “go underground abroad to hide from their own people.” In his posts, he suggested that the party leaders were attempting to bring unrest from the streets of Sarajevo to Banja Luka, adding that they were not welcome with such intentions.
“You are arriving on the first day of Ramadan, showing that you do not care about Bosniaks, but about chaos in which you would preserve your positions. With such intentions, you are not welcome. You deserve jeers and boos,” Dodik wrote.
“However much unrest you may wish for, you will be welcomed and seen off peacefully. And in the end, you will remain where you were – nowhere; what you have done – nothing,” he added.
