And after Dodik, the focus is on Dodik. Because of the words he utters, because of the actions he announces. He, and those who protect him. From individual BiH politicians, to world officials, and even powers. Russia has long taken sides, but we should not allow our country, because of Dodik, whom Russia protects, to become a toy for achieving other people’s goals. That is why it is not surprising that such actions require reactions from other powers. From the USA to the Quinte countries. That is why the letter from the Minister of Foreign Affairs Elmedin Konaković, to two addresses. The content is the same. It is necessary to stop Russia from supporting separatists in BiH.
The law is clear, the court has ruled, the institutions have decided. Those for whom respect for the law is not their strong suit, this time found themselves in a dead end. So Russia requested a session of the UN Security Council due to the verdict and the removal of Milorad Dodik’s mandate, and China supported it. True, their maneuver to turn the verdict of the Court of BiH into a political case did not work. Therefore, by convening a meeting with the Quinte countries, the Troika parties want to present the facts from their perspective, as opposed to the one that Russia wants to send to the world. For the same reason, Konaković sent a warning letter to the US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, in addition to the Quinte.
“Bosnia and Herzegovina is currently facing serious challenges arising from destabilizing activities orchestrated by the Russian Federation, which are most often carried out through its intermediary, Milorad Dodik, and his SNSD party. Milorad Dodik, against whom the Prosecutor’s Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina initiated proceedings that resulted in a final verdict by the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina, is further jeopardizing the hard-won peace and stability in the country with his actions and rhetoric. The support that Russia provides to the SNSD’s separatist aspirations is aimed at undermining the constitutional order, endangering the rule of law and making it more difficult for key state institutions to function. This development of events poses a serious threat to the internal stability of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as the security of the entire Western Balkans,” stated Elmedin Konaković, Minister of Foreign Affairs of BiH.
Political analysts state that the answer to this crisis is crystal clear – the principle of the rule of law. They further explain that Milorad Dodik, taking the oath on the basis of the elections announced by the CEC, himself recognized the legitimacy of that institution.
By redeeming a year in prison, he paradoxically affirms the authority of the judiciary, which he persistently challenges. And, as for the referendum, it cannot decide on the decisions of the judicial authority and on the principle of the rule of law. For him, however, reality is inexorable.
“Insisting on the leadership of the rule of law is something that will be very easy to understand in Quinta. If the BiH elite, I mean the Troika and the other parties in the Federation, including the HDZ, adhere to these principles, they will very easily establish an understanding with key European and Atlantic democracies and will receive clear support for their policies and support for the stabilization of the country”, believes Davor Gjenero, political analyst.
The Troika goes on to say that this political crisis, although serious, has opened up a historic opportunity. For the first time, they say, the conflict did not have an interethnic basis, but exclusively political, which opens up space for an alliance with the opposition in RS. If they succeed in that, they announce, the remaining two European laws and the Growth Plan will be adopted at the first session at the end of August.
“I think that right now, in cooperation with the RS opposition, an Alliance can be created that will truly stop wasting energy on internal conflicts, squabbles and arguments once and for all and direct that energy to what the Troika from the Federation and the Troika from the RS completely agree on, which is the European path of BiH, which needs to be accelerated,” believes Predrag Kojović, NS representative in the BiH House of Representatives.
And the fact that BiH ultimately should not worry about Russian interference, but work on prosperity and the European path, also speaks in favor of the fact that Russia has long lost its reputation and credibility on the world stage – says Gjenero.
“Today, Russia functions as an evil empire in the global order, it functions as the other dark side, and when you enjoy the support of Russia, you clearly discredit what you stand for, and I am talking about what Milorad Dodik is doing in the international arena,” he said.
The meeting of the Troika and the Quinte should be held next week. Although, the actors admit, it is being given more importance than it should have. But, by all accounts, if it leads to an agreement with the RS opposition and concrete reforms, the meeting could be a turning point. For now, the plans are promising – to adopt the remaining European laws by the end of August, appoint a chief negotiator and accelerate BiH’s path towards the EU.
