Puhalo: Dodik's referendum is an election story, there are no parallels with Scotland

Ahead of the referendum in Scotland on secession from Great Britain, the President of Republika Srpska and SNSD, Milorad Dodik, said: "Let RS prepare!", but the results of the conducted referendum showed that Scotland did not vote for independence, and Dodik's reaction is still missing, writes the BiH news agency Patria.

Srđan Puhalo, analyst and psychologist, told the Patria agency that Dodik's announcement should be taken in the context of an election story.

- Regarding the referendum, or the parallel between RS and Scotland, I am not sure that it is a good parallel at all, nor that it should be given much importance for one simple reason: it is mentioned every month or two, and the question is what, if anything, lies behind it. It is something that appeals to a good portion of people in RS - Puhalo said.

The latest developments in Scotland, according to him, are shocking to the residents of the Balkans only because "such an important issue as a referendum, or secession from a country, passed so peacefully and without any incident".

Puhalo also analyzed the current situation in RS, namely Milorad Dodik's visits to Israel and Russia, while a larger part of BiH is facing the consequences of devastating floods.

- The revitalization of Republika Srpska is the job of the Prime Minister and the Government of RS; another thing is that such an image has simply been created that everything in RS depends on one person, Milorad Dodik. These visits are somehow presented more as support for a certain political option or person, rather than as something that is in the interest of all citizens of RS - Puhalo concluded.

Dr. Mustafa Cerić, an independent candidate for the Bosniak member of the Presidency of BiH, also reacted to the referendum in Scotland and Dodik's announcements.

- The decision of the citizens of Scotland is important for the future of both Great Britain and the whole of Europe, and it sends a clear message that Europe does not accept divisions, but exclusively integration processes. For us in the Balkans, this is of particular importance and a clear warning to all those who still want to appropriate and divide someone else's land - stated Dr. Cerić, emphasizing that one of the loudest politicians in the Balkans, "who lives in his atavism, is Milorad Dodik, who wants to appropriate someone else's property".

- Therefore, Scotland's message is the strongest message to Dodik - that the process of atomization of Europe, as well as the Balkans, is over and that Dodik, like all politicians in our country, should rather focus on the needs and problems of people who are hungry, unemployed, humiliated, unfortunate, and waiting for a helping hand after the floods - emphasized Dr. Cerić.