“It would not surprise me, but it saddens me if it is preceded by an agreement with the leadership from Republika Srpska (RS), that is, with the SNSD. That would mean a small interest of a smaller number of people, at the cost of total devastation of the RS and the interests of a million people in this country,” said SDS delegate in the House of Peoples of the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina (PABiH) Zelimir Neskovic, commenting on the information that the High Representative Christian Schmidt could impose a law on state property.
Let’s immediately comment on the lifting of sanctions against Milorad Dodik, Zeljka Cvijanovic, Dodik’s family, and other associates. Is this just part of everything that has already been agreed upon with the United States (U.S.)?
Exactly what was being announced, that is, what Mr. Dodik and Ms. Cvijanovic were announcing over the past seven days, it seems, through the media and in meetings, through SNSD structures, has all come true. Therefore, this is a great betrayal of RS and a major “deal” that Dodik, his leadership, and his closest associates have made, primarily with the U.S. administration. It can be seen that the consequences are indeed serious. The price is huge – we are talking about funds from the public sector of RS, that is, tens of millions of BAM that were spent on lobbying, or paying lobbyists throughout the U.S., to lift the sanctions on Mr. Dodik, members of his family, members of the SNSD leadership, and parties close to the SNSD, as well as companies that are in correlation precisely with these people and with people from the SNSD primarily. I will not be surprised at all if what we from the Serb Democratic Party have been announcing happens – that as early as tomorrow, the SNSD will be completely servile and vote for the BiH budget, thus allowing in a completely submissive way everything they had been saying in recent months they would not do. That means, first, an increase of funds for the Ministry of Defense of BiH, then also 7 million BAM for cultural institutions at the level of BiH, including both the Federation of BiH (FBiH) and RS, ensuring in that way that the transfer of competences from the level of RS to the level of BiH is gradually introduced.
But what frightens me the most, and I see that this issue exists, also through the recent Quint meetings over the last six months, where this has already been discussed three times, is that in Schmidt’s report to the United Nations (UN) Security Council it is slowly becoming apparent that the issue of state property will be opened, and I am completely certain that in this package of Dodik’s “deal” there is also the matter of state property. That is, what belongs to RS: land, waters, rivers, all the useful property of RS – to be transferred to the level of BiH (Land, waters, rivers, and other such property, according to international agreements, the Constitution, and laws, are the property of the state of BiH, not of the entities). But we in the opposition, from the SDS, will not allow that. We will look for all possible partners to prevent that from happening, and I can see that here, the SNSD will not have partners, it seems to me, either in Serbia or in one part of the RS.
The Constitutional Court of BiH on November 4th will consider Dodik’s appeal against the verdict of the Court of BiH, as well as against the decision of the Central Election Commission (CEC) on the revocation of the mandate of the president of RS and the calling of early elections. What do you expect, given that it is already being mentioned publicly that these appeals will be accepted and that this is part of the agreement with the U.S.?
It is already being mentioned publicly that these appeals could indeed be accepted and that this is also part of the agreement with the U.S. Following the media over the past several days, and especially today, I see that well-known legal experts, legal professionals, people who have been members of numerous courts at various levels in RS and in BiH, are slowly presenting their views and explaining them, and I think there is quite a bit of truth in that. Especially considering today’s information about the lifting of such sanctions. That is, against Dodik and his family members. It will not surprise me at all if Dodik’s appeal is accepted. It seems to me that in this way the entire agreement would be fully aligned. On the other hand, there will probably be some excuse that will leave room for further adoption of laws by Mr. Schmidt, so that some correlation between these two solutions will probably be found.
Is it possible that the High Representative could impose a law on state property?
It would not surprise me, but it saddens me if it is preceded by an agreement with the leadership from RS, that is, with the SNSD. That would mean a consent made for personal interests, trading with the institutions of RS for the sake of achieving personal gain. That means a small interest of a smaller number of people, at the cost of total devastation of RS and the interests of a million people in this country, N1 writes.
