Milorad Dodik uses the 'Trojka' for his own goals, just like his three fingers

Written for NAP by: Sifet Kukuruz, legal expert

After the 'Trojka' (Troika), contrary to the electoral will of the citizens and constitutional norms, was installed in power, the principle of trinity became the main determinant in the lives of BiH citizens and the main regulator of the most important socio-political processes.

In addition to the symbol of "three fingers" spreading overnight from a part of the state territory to the entire territory of BiH, it has also become almost domesticated in the institutions of BiH. It is not entirely clear whether the expansion of the display of this symbol is directly related to the 'Trojka' project, but the fact that the practice of its use, both throughout the state territory and in the institutions of BiH, is much more prevalent after the establishment of the state-level coalition in which the 'Trojka' participates, largely thanks to the mercy of Milorad Dodik, cannot be ignored.

BiH citizens can only hope that the expansion of the use of this symbol will not lead to an explosion, and the possibility of such a thing happening is becoming more likely every day. This can best be seen in the example of Milorad Dodik's attitude towards the leaders of the 'Trojka', who do not dare to problematize his anti-state actions in any way. Any possibility of this happening is promptly thwarted personally by Milorad Dodik, who, together with his crony Dragan Čović, not only determines the fate of the coalition but also dictates the conditions for its survival and duration.

There is no state coalition, only a state-level coalition

Thus, it appears natural that Milorad Dodik can demand anything he desires from the leaders of the 'Trojka' as a condition for the survival of the state-level coalition, including the annulment of decisions by the High Representative and state laws enacted by the High Representative, while at the same time the 'Trojka' cannot even attempt to demand the annulment of all unconstitutional decisions and laws adopted by the National Assembly of the Republika Srpska entity for the sake of the survival of that same coalition.

If the 'Trojka' were to consider the interests of BiH, rather than their personal interests and the interest of remaining in the coalition, such a decision would have already been made and delivered to Milorad Dodik, and as such would certainly represent an act of supreme patriotism and an indicator of the responsible attitude of the 'Trojka' leaders towards BiH. However, expecting such a decision is illusory, because the state-level coalition was not established in the interest of BiH, but in the interest of Milorad Dodik and the Republika Srpska entity, as well as in the interest of Dragan Čović and the emerging third entity.

Of course, this coalition also serves the leaders of the 'Trojka' to remain present on the political scene, contrary to the will of the citizens, and the validity of such a conclusion can best be based on the fact that Milorad Dodik can make a decision on the fate of the coalition at any moment by insisting on laws and decisions that lack constitutional basis, i.e., that are contrary to the Constitution of BiH, while the 'Trojka' is not in a position to demand the annulment of all decisions and laws adopted by the National Assembly of Republika Srpska, which violate the Constitution of BiH.

What's more, it has become quite obvious that the beginning of a genuine, not a marketing, fight for the interests of BiH would simultaneously mean the political end of both the 'Trojka' and the state-level coalition.

BiH serves the interests of the coalition

Given that the 'Trojka' is not in a position to make a decision that conditions the fate of the coalition, the question arises whose interests does the 'Trojka' actually serve and protect, whether it is the interests of Milorad Dodik and Dragan Čović or the interests of the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina?

The 'Trojka' could at least emulate its coalition partners Milorad Dodik and Dragan Čović in something, who demonstrate complete devotion to their political goals. However, the problem is that the 'Trojka' has set its political goal exclusively as remaining in the coalition, at any cost, even at the cost of BiH. The 'Trojka' simply has no other goals or political demands.

The leaders of the 'Trojka' are not guided in their actions by principles aimed at preserving BiH and its interests, which they have very often eloquently presented to the citizens of BiH, unlike Milorad Dodik and Dragan Čović, who are completely dedicated to dismantling BiH, through the construction of Republika Srpska as an independent state or as an entity within the state of Serbia, or through the re-establishment of a third entity.

The coalition is important, not the state

Everything indicates that the survival of the state-level coalition is much more important to Nikšić, Konaković, and Forta than the survival of BiH itself. The slogan of their political existence could be summarized as: "Long live the coalition, even if BiH ceases to exist".

Given that the 'Trojka' does not set the annulment of unconstitutional decisions and laws of the National Assembly of Republika Srpska as a condition for the survival of the state-level coalition, the question arises: what is the meaning and justification for the existence of such a coalition? Why do the leaders of the 'Trojka' continue to insist on a coalition from which BiH only suffers damage? Why does the 'Trojka' agree to a government that works against the interests of BiH and in favor of the separatist plans of Milorad Dodik and Dragan Čović?

The 'Trojka' agrees to be the "three fingers" on Milorad Dodik's hand

While Milorad Dodik and Dragan Čović engage in political dialogue, and often political monologue, in the presence of the 'Trojka' leaders, the 'Trojka' leaders deceive the citizens of BiH with empty rhetoric about the necessity of a new political approach, the importance of dialogue, and political compromise, forgetting that new policies cannot be built with those who do not renounce old political goals.

While Milorad Dodik openly destroys BiH, the 'Trojka' leaders, in their political unawareness, are supposedly returning BiH to the European path and deceiving citizens that BiH has never been closer to EU membership. The real truth is that BiH has never been closer to disappearing, not even during the aggression against RBiH from 1992-1995. Even in 1992, there was patriotic consciousness and patriotic forces ready to defend BiH without calculation.

However, today, through their manipulations and deceptions, the 'Trojka' has managed to weaken even this patriotic reflex, misleading the citizens of BiH with talk of the European path and false reforms.

BiH citizens should finally trust themselves more than the words of the 'Trojka' leaders or the statements of their mentors. Citizens must understand that the story about BiH's European path and EU membership is a classic deception that most resembles "Potemkin villages" and that this story, in terms of the number of votes obtained in the General Elections, is most pushed by local, below-average politicians embodied by the 'Trojka' leaders. While the 'Trojka' leaders talk about BiH's European future, Milorad Dodik openly tells them that BiH not only has no European future but no future at all.

Therefore, the fact that the 'Trojka' leaders, who lack the political power to decide even where they will sit during briefings with Milorad Dodik and Dragan Čović, persistently convince the citizens of BiH that BiH's European path is a reality and that they are the ones who have the most say in it, is devastating. It should be clear to everyone that there is no European path for BiH without the consent of Milorad Dodik and Dragan Čović, because they, not the 'Trojka' leaders, decide on it.

While the 'Trojka' leaders talk about opening doors on BiH's European path, they forget that the keys to those doors are held by those who decide not only on BiH's European path but also on their political fate.

Therefore, the 'Trojka' leaders should show a minimum of respect to the citizens of BiH and stop deceiving them with European successes and intensive "European diplomacy" which they, supposedly for the first time, have brought to a level representing the peak of diplomatic capabilities.

Citizens should also not forget the fact that the presence of various European bureaucrats in BiH throughout history has never brought any concrete benefit. On the contrary, BiH has suffered more harm than good from this so-called European dimension. It is enough to recall the period 1992-1995 and numerous European initiatives and European peace negotiations whose main goal was the open or disguised division of BiH based on ethnic principles.

Therefore, even the emphasized presence of various European bureaucrats and European initiatives should be understood by BiH citizens, in good faith and in their own interest, as both a danger and an opportunity for the survival and development of BiH. But above all as a danger, and only then as an opportunity. History and our own experience teach us this.

Despite this, the 'Trojka' leaders today persistently confuse the citizens of BiH with the numerous meetings with European bureaucrats, mostly behind closed doors, after which the European doors for BiH remain equally closed.

BiH's European path is more of a retrospective than a perspective

Today, BiH's European path can be understood more as a European retrospective than as a real perspective, but the 'Trojka' leaders either do not want to, are unable to, or are blackmailed into not telling the citizens of BiH this openly. It is impossible to explain otherwise their remaining in a coalition with forces that openly challenge, deny, and destroy BiH, whose openly stated political goal is the disintegration of BiH, the independence of the Republika Srpska entity, the annexation of that entity to Serbia, the re-establishment of a third entity, and who not only deny but even curse genocide in the presence of the 'Trojka' leaders.

Because of all this, it is impossible not to ask the question: to whom and for what purpose does the coalition with such policies serve? What is beyond doubt is that such a coalition does not serve the interests of BiH. The state-level coalition in which the 'Trojka' leaders participate solely by the grace of Milorad Dodik and Dragan Čović serves the realization of the war aims of the policies that the aforementioned duo cherishes.

The fact that the 'Trojka' leaders, in order to participate in power, have agreed to be a project of the complete disempowerment of the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina is devastating.