Duraković asks Dodik: How will you finance your 'non-existent little state'?

In a bully-like manner, the president of the Republika Srpska entity has once again, for the umpteenth time this year, announced secession. Whenever a law is mentioned that would strengthen the institutions of the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina or the rule of law within it, here comes colleague Milorad with his secession. There is, of course, no clear plan, but the message has been sent, and we can all spend the next few days discussing his character and actions – only this time we have also learned how many hours he needs for secession. Exactly six hours. Because, President Dodik says, if the High Representative Christian Schmidt imposes the Law on State Property at five in the afternoon, 'he should consider that we held the Assembly at 11 and declared independence,' writes the vice-president of RS, Ćamil Duraković, for Istraga.ba.

And what then, Mr. President? Who will, for starters, recognize your little state? Serbia, Russia, North Korea, Togo, Lesotho, and the Federated States of Micronesia? What will you finance your non-existent, unrecognized little state with, Mr. President, knowing that the entity has taken out its seventeenth loan this year? What will you do, Mr. President, with those who oppose your independence? And why, Mr. President, such unserious public appearances?

The situation on the ground, and Milorad Dodik knows this, is not rosy. Citizens are dissatisfied, there is no money, families are leaving this entity and going to Western countries, and the ruling political elite offers nothing but short-term entertainment for the wider masses. Besides the secession announced on a monthly basis, sometimes a parade is organized, and in the meantime, a law is occasionally introduced that prohibits the prosecution of those in power.

In addition to the Law on Immunity of RS, which, among other things, defines that no representative of the legislative and executive authorities, prosecutors, or judges who do not comply with the decisions of the High Representative Christian Schmidt can be criminally or civilly prosecuted, the ruling political elites have also passed the Law on Criminalization of Defamation, which actually represents a kind of pressure on independent media and critical thinking. In addition to the above, yesterday, representatives of HDZ and SNSD refused to adopt the agenda of the session of the House of Peoples of the BiH Parliament until the agenda item related to the Law on Prevention of Money Laundering and Financing of Terrorist Activities is removed – and what are they telling us with that?

In the past year, Milorad Dodik, apart from media outbursts, secession announcements, verbal attacks on journalists, denial of genocide, glorification of war criminals, parading, and confrontations with Christian Schmidt, has not done much for the benefit of the citizens of the Republika Srpska entity. On the contrary – his only trump card for maintaining power is precisely national tensions, which he does not give up even at the cost of criminal prosecution!