COMMENT Much Ado About Nothing: I Don't Want Bosnia, I Don't Want NATO

By S. Omeragić

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SDA announced that it will send an appeal to the Constitutional Court of BiH to change the name of Republika Srpska to the Republic of Serbs, Bosniaks, and Croats. Of course, Milorad Dodik reacted with his usual furiousness.     

“We have prepared laws to establish borders in RS overnight,” he told a Sarajevo television station. Thus, he has already prepared RS for secession. How important is this appeal by SDA to the Constitutional Court of BiH, if Dodik has been secretly preparing anti-constitutional and illegal actions leading to secession? How long has Dodik been preparing? For at least ten years, he has been making statements that the country he currently sits at the top of will fall apart. For at least ten years, Dodik has been calling for the secession of RS from BiH.

It's a special story when Dodik receives support for the secession of RS and when Serbian leaders Vučić, Dačić, and the Serbian Orthodox Church join him in unison. Wise silence is then the tradition of the OHR.

Now the OHR has called SDA's move towards the Constitutional Court of BiH irresponsible and counterproductive.

After Dodik's statement that he has prepared everything for the secession of RS, will the OHR react and at least condemn this horror? So far, no one from that institution has commented. High Representative Valentin Inzko only cursorily and indirectly objects to every tenth threat by Dodik to BiH's integrity.

Has Dodik ever asked the Constitutional Court for an opinion on his secessions, referendums, and similar actions that he promotes in every interview, even when asked about harmless things? No, of course, because by doing so he would only admit that he is working outside the system from which he receives a salary. So, why is it dangerous and condemnable to seek an opinion from the Constitutional Court of BiH on any issue?

Arming the police with long barrels and announcing the formation of the RS army is not irresponsible and counterproductive for the OHR? Izetbegović mentioned NATO at a press conference four times and Dodik's refusal to accept Euro-Atlantic integration: “Don't touch our logs on the road,” the SDA leader figuratively explained the behavior of the authorities in the RS entity regarding NATO.

The Russian Embassy requested an urgent extraordinary meeting of the PIC. It did not convene it for hundreds of Dodik's outbursts. Diplomacy is one of the jobs where you can hide bias. But you can't when you are one of two ambassadors at some anti-constitutional gathering of another country, and then you even get the other ambassador dismissed.

At this conference, Izetbegović supposedly gave about half a year for a change in the essence of RS. He demands recognition of the Bosnian language, demands equality for Bosniaks and Croats, and acceptance of Euro-Atlantic integration. For the first time, SDA has said enough to this constant and general boycott of any progress in BiH. For anything bad in this country, we can blame their cowardice and poor defense of BiH's interests. Now they have suddenly made a legal move towards the Constitutional Court, and then retreated to a six-month distance.

The key question, however, is whether the Constitutional Court of BiH can even change a name confirmed in an international agreement. All international lawyers would say that this is an unsustainable request in international law. Why then did SDA embark on these actions?

The media constantly reports that Dodik does not want to join NATO, but wants to join the EU.

Of course, because NATO wants us now, and Europe is about five years away.

For a Russian portal in December 2014, Dodik said: “They are practically forcing us to integrate into the EU. He announced that RS plans to strengthen cooperation with countries in the Eurasian region, stating that it is very important for the Eurasian model to be as strong as possible “so that it is an alternative to other global projects.” He said that he “unconditionally understands and supports” Russian President Vladimir Putin in the current confrontation with the West, which includes the Russian annexation of Ukrainian Crimea.

Dodik is like an unlucky son, whom the international factor forgives everything because he has powerful patrons behind him. And not just Russia. Perhaps this is the best opportunity for the patriots of this BiH to ask themselves once again whether the international community will defend democracy, truth, freedom, civilizational achievements, or something that was created on crime and continues through force, like what we witnessed for days as terror against peaceful demonstrations by the citizens of Banja Luka...