DUO BANDITOS: Is cutting off gas to Sarajevo a strategy by Dodik and Čović to get the southern and eastern interconnections?

By: Rasim Belko @rasimbelko

The statement by the director of the company Sarajevo-gas Istočno Sarajevo, Nedeljko Elek, should open the eyes of all political entities based in Sarajevo. In fact, Elek's message should be viewed as an operation to correct the vision of the political bloc Trojka. Because Elek says: "Yesterday, at the request of the President of Republika Srpska, Milorad Dodik, I ordered the normal flow of gas to be restored within eight hours." Milorad Dodik is the President of Republika Srpska and has no involvement in energy or resources within his jurisdiction. But if Elek restored the gas on Dodik's order, it is clear that the gas was also cut off to the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina on the same person's instruction.

This caused serious losses and damage to the economy in the Canton of Sarajevo, which is governed by Trojka, Dodik's partner in state and Republika Srpska government. Therefore, the representatives of SDP, NiP, and NS no longer have the right to wash their hands of their failures by claiming that Dodik surprised them with something. Because he has nothing to surprise with anymore.

The fact that Dodik's partnership with Trojka is in line with the con artist's saying "every game, every win" must change, because when Dodik and Elek do the same in December, the damage will be enormous, and the responsibility will lie with Trojka. That is why it is high time for Nermin Nikšić, Elmedin Konaković, and, if possible, Edin Forto, to understand that Dodik is not a partner by definition, but a political speculator who parasites. There should be no compromise with such policies, and certainly no subservient attitude. And there has been an unlimited amount of it since Dodik and Dragan Čović chose Trojka as their "Muslim" partner.

To make it clearer for the Trojka members, let us point them to a possible solution to this puzzle. It is not impossible, on the contrary, it is very likely that the experienced fox Dragan Čović (leader of HDZ) had his conceptual share in the political strategy of pressuring Trojka. And Čović is a person who, thanks to Trojka, holds the key and the lock to the possibility of diversifying the Federation and ending dependence on gas coming through the entity of Republika Srpska.

The Herzegovinian Džudžan knows what a strategic advantage that is, so he even decided to lead the American administration by the nose, while playing with Trojka like a political cat. Given that Dodik and Čović create political scenarios far from public view, it is not possible to confirm that the gas cutoff was a joint game. However, the potential benefit that both can gain points precisely to such a pact.

Čović, therefore, has the Americans against him, so he needs help, otherwise, he would easily deal with Trojka. Dodik is in the same position. Both want their gas connections - Čović the southern one, Dodik the eastern one.

In such a scenario, in the coming days, we can expect Čović's calls to his partners from Sarajevo to unblock the Southern Interconnection project. Of course, according to the HDZ project. That is, for this interconnection to be under the control of HDZ and Croats. So that Čović also has the possibility to cut off the vital energy source for the economy to the "balijas".

Trojka thus found itself in a cleft of two partner interest zones, and an additional burden is the proactive opposition action that offers a solution in accordance with the laws, but also with American demands. What irony, the strongest part of the opposition was removed from power by suspending the BiH Constitution because it did not "listen" to the Americans, and now only that part can save the American interest in the Southern Interconnection gas pipeline.

However, this does not suit Čović and the HDZ guerrilla. Just as Dodik does not like the delay in the discussion about the eastern interconnection. To be honest, the head of diplomacy and leader of NiP, Elmedin Konaković, said long ago that both interconnections would go as a package. Dodik knows that Konaković lied to him, so he probably, in agreement with Čović, hit him where it suits him least - in the Canton of Sarajevo.

There is no doubt that the anti-state criminal duo Dodik - Čović will continue to strategically pressure and squeeze the immature Trojka to achieve their final goals. However, the consequences will be most felt by businessmen and citizens, who are already anxiously awaiting every next move.

If, as Elek says, Dodik called to have the gas turned on, who guarantees that he won't call tomorrow to have the gas turned off. Winter is getting closer, and Sarajevo, like the rest of the country, has no other source of this energy.

Trojka is definitely the biggest culprit, because their condescending policies have led us to the situation we are in. However, a serious amount of blame lies with the High Representative Christian Schmidt and the US Embassy.

Their assessment of the need to remove a part of the political segment in BiH has proven to be desperate. They removed the pro-state segment and left the separatist-criminal one. Because of this desperate mistake, the state is paralyzed, and soon the economy and citizens will be paralyzed. Because when November comes, everyone will freeze from the cold.

Therefore, if they have already imposed the Constitution of the Federation for Dodik and Čović to rule over the bowed heads of Trojka, and now that it is clear that this was fatal, let them impose a law on the Southern Gas Interconnection. If they could overthrow the constitutional order, they can also change a law. Otherwise, they will prove that they are enemies of the citizens of Sarajevo, the Federation, and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Because Nikšić will never send that law to Parliament. He is revving up his Touareg R-Line somewhere!