ONLY DAMAGE CONTROL NOW Between Criticism and Compromise: How the "Trojka" Remained in the Shadow of Dodik's Power

By: Amina Čorbo-Zećo

The mystery of Milorad Dodik's whereabouts continues. Media reported he was in Moscow awaiting a meeting with Vladimir Putin. The central arrest warrant did not help institutions find him, although it was perfectly clear where he was the entire time. Interpol's red notice is pending... Just like the possibility of resolving this crisis...

His coalition partners, embodied by the "Trojka" (SDP, Naša stranka, and NIP) and HDZ, have been trying all this time to show that they have cornered Dodik, that they have brought him to justice. But is that really the case?

The "Trojka" wants to present itself as a political alternative to Dodik, and to a large extent, they certainly are. Because I doubt anyone from the parties with the prefix "Bosnian" wants the division of BiH or would agree to it. However, their political struggle is more a fight to reduce the damage already done than for a genuine solution to the political crisis.

This is evidenced by the statement of Vojin Mijatović, vice-president of SDP, who is more concerned with the Party of Democratic Action, warning the public that 'everything would be burning by now if SDA were in power.' He scares people with something imagined to hide the failures of his own policies.

Dodik is still a key political factor, and the "Trojka" did not have the strength to catch up with him or restrain him when it was most necessary. For example, when he cursed genocide or when they accommodated his personnel wishes, or provided 100 million of state money for his godfather's building in Banja Luka...

In this process, from the beginning of the government's establishment, the "Trojka" was a passive observer, occasionally criticizing him, but never having enough political influence to stop him in his key strategies. Until Dodik practically brought BiH to the brink of division, the "Trojka" did not take any firm political action to prevent him. Either they couldn't or they didn't want to.

Even when they made decisions that went against Dodik, it was only when there were clear threats to the political framework of the state, which became apparent when his plan to divide the country became obvious.

Realistically, the "Trojka" did not remove Dodik from power, nor did they fully prevent his separatist aspirations. Instead, they allowed him to reach a point where BiH was brought to the brink of division. Now, with Dodik having almost achieved his political goals, the "Trojka", like other political parties, faces the inability to stop him.

Instead of taking responsibility for their own political passivity, they are now trying to shift responsibility to Dodik, who is already deeply entrenched and seems to have grown into a politically impossible figure that is difficult to eliminate from the country's political life.

And time is relentlessly ticking away, and this time, it is playing exclusively for Dodik and his policies!