Why does Dodik want to be a greater Croat than Čović?

Enver Išerić

Having ‘won’ the title of the greatest Serb, Milorad Dodik is now taking big steps to win the title of the ‘greatest Croat’. Milorad Dodik is trying to win this second title by advocating the rights of Croats in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which, in his opinion, are endangered. 

This is what he stated for the DEPO portal on 29 December 2021: ‘Muslims have trapped themselves in claiming that this means, if the Croats are given the right to elect their Croatian representative to the Presidency, that it means a third entity, and they are allegedly against the third entity. And again, I don't think there is any Bosnia and Herzegovina without a third entity. I think that would be fair. And everything can be arranged.

But Muslims intend to outvote, and Bakir Izetbegović openly says, not only in the Presidency, but now in the House of Peoples, that means that they do not exist as a political people.’

Who knows how many times in his public appearances Milorad Dodik calls Bosniaks Muslims and he does it deliberately, persistently and provocatively. In response to his provocations, I could call Milorad Dodik an Orthodox, as Matija Bećković (Serbian poet and writer) says - ‘we’ll chase each other’. But that is neither in the words nor in the spirit of Dayton.

He does not know the Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina, neither Muslims, nor Orthodox, nor Catholics.

That is why it is unconstitutional behavior. Besides, if I called Dodik himself an Orthodox, in response to his calling Bosniaks Muslims, I am afraid that it is possible to make a mistake and thus hurt true Orthodox believers, because what Dodik is doing is contrary to the principles of all known and recognized religions.

Dodik is also in favor of a third entity. Even Dragan Čović, that is, the political leadership of the Bosnian Croats, is not in favor of the third entity (at least openly and publicly).

Well, Mr. Dodik, if you are serious about that, why don't you propose that we form a third entity in the area of ​​the existing RS entity?

I would support you in that. And that would be exactly in proportion to the census. Or do you have another plan? Dodik also supports the request of Croats for ‘legitimate representation in the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the House of Peoples of the Parliament of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina’.

So I ask Milorad Dodik, was the election of Mr. Mladen Ivanić as a member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the 2014 general elections legitimate?

If it was legitimate, I should ask the question - how legitimate is the election of Mladen Ivanić, if all citizens who exercise their right to vote in the RS entity (Serbs, Bosniaks, Croats and Others)
voted for him, and whether the votes of Bosniaks, Croats and Others were crucial for the election of Mladen Ivanić?

One rule cannot be established in one entity and a different one in another in terms of ‘legitimacy’ and ‘legitimate representation’. In addition, the decisions according to which the members of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina are elected are contained in the Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina and can only be changed by changing the Constitution.

And to change the Constitution, it is necessary to carry out the procedure in the Parliamentary Assembly of BiH.

In the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the issue of abuse of declaration of nationality for the House of Peoples’ candidates should be prevented, thus resolving the issue of legitimate
representation of Croats in the House of Peoples, because all Croats elected to cantonal assemblies must have the right to run for parliament, regardless of which political party they belong.

These are standards, rules, principles of electoral law, but also norms of international law. Anything else is discrimination and contrary to international human rights. Therefore, I emphasize that everyone has the right to propose changes to the current Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina, but no one has the right to threaten if his proposals are not accepted in the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Talks and negotiations should be held on all issues, not only on the sovereignty and territorial integrity of our homeland, but any solution must be in accordance with international law, that is international documents guaranteeing human rights.

First of all, it is necessary to discuss the implementation of the judgments of the European Court of Human Rights (Sejdić-Finci and other judgments). Why, Mr. Dodik, are you disturbing the
traditionally good relations between Bosniaks and Croats?

Are you doing this in an effort to portray Bosnia and Herzegovina as an ‘impossible state’ and thereby clear the path for the secession of RS? Wasn't it enough that the Bosnian Serb political leadership in 1993, in order to facilitate the realization of its war goals (the creation of a Greater Serbia), provoked an armed conflict between Croats and Bosniaks? I am sure you will not succeed in that again.

By advocating the rights of Croats in Bosnia and Herzegovina, you are humiliating the entire Croat people in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and especially its political leadership, currently headed
by Dragan Čović.

It will be better if you advocate the return of Croats and Bosniaks to the RS entity and provide them with all the rights they have under the Constitution, including employment in public institutions, but also the right to their language. Focus your energy on useful things, Mr. Dodik. 

In this way, you are unnecessarily wasting it and causing damage to all citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina. You, Mr. Dodik, are also in favor of an ‘independent Republika Srpska within Bosnia and Herzegovina’.

You also want to present yourself as a defender, not a destroyer of the Constitutional Order of Bosnia and Herzegovina. You repeat mantras about it day after day wanting to turn a lie into truth. You will not succeed in that either, because what you do is very clear, and we are not deceived by your words.

Finally, I would like to point out that the Serb people had and still have top legal experts, world-renowned theorists, and none of them has so far constructed the idea of ‘independence of a part
of a sovereign state within that same state’. It seems that you and Mr. Radmanović, who also, as ‘Slobodna Bosna’ writes, stands for the same thing, surpassed them in legal theory, although, as
far as I know, you did not study law.