The people is one thing, the opposition is another

By: Armin Aljovic

The people and the opposition are natural partners. When the people rise against injustice, wise western world does not recognize it as a revolution against the state, on the contrary, they perceive it as a fight of the state for people. Anywhere else in the (normal) world, opposition is expected to keep its ear to the ground, to articulate and channel demands of people.

One of the biggest dictators in the nineties in the region of former Yugoslavia, Slobodan Milosevic was toppled by the opposition gathered around the movement 'Otpor' (resistance). The leader of the Liberal Democratic Party and then chief of the election headquarters of the democrats, Cedomir Jovanovic 15 years after 'democratic changes' in Serbia evaluated that strength of the opposition at the time had arisen from the need of the society to distance itself from Milosevic even though, as he said, the opposition had other motives for toppling Milosevic. Anyhow, the dictator had fallen under pressure of protests by the opposition and people.

Bosnia and Herzegovina has been shaken for almost three years by murders of two young men; the first one was 22 year old Dzenan Memic in Sarajevo, followed by 21 year old David Dragicevic in Banja Luka. It has been an alarm for thousands of people to hit the streets of Banja Luka and Sarajevo and seek justice. On one side are citizens demanding justice, on the other side are the officials protecting murderers.

The fact that both investigations have been wrongly managed right from the start, while the families have been given false hope, only confirms that the ruling clique stands behind both crimes. Only leading parties in BiH have control over the judiciary.

The role of the opposition in both these disturbing cases in Banja Luka and Sarajevo is rather weak. Their support comes across as declarative, in check and symbolic. Curtesy statements without a drop of sweat are good for nothing. On the contrary, they only give a false hope to the citizens about their rights being protected. What lacks on the streets of Sarajevo are mass protests and civil pressure on the judiciary led by left wing parties.

The opposition spirit shone only last Tuesday in PDP leader Branislav Borenovic, the member of that party Drasko Stanivukovic and SDP's Vojin Mijatovic. They were arrested for standing up with parents of the murdered David Dragicevic, however, they nevertheless announced that fight would continue. 'They were beating me, I'm in lot of pain but so be it', said young Stanivukovic.

The left wing is a natural partner to the citizens regardless they are in power or in the opposition.

At the last elections, 'Narod i pravda', Elmedin Konakovic's party nominated sister of Dzenan Memic, another murder victim. They have announced a fight against injustice of the ruling SDA. That's why Konakovic should be in the first row of the citizen protests. Otherwise he could be rightly accused of profiting from the case.

Journalist and activist Aleksandar Trifunovic told Patria about a 'rebellion' arising in the region. HE explained that the rebellion is about existence and not a caprice. 'The citizens of Banja Luka, Sarajevo, Belgrade and Skoplje equally want to live a normal life. That's why these protests are about existential. There's one generation that does not wish to leave the politics and they are ready to use terror in their fight'.

Milorad Dodik has been pragmatic – he has already tried and tested the method of protests to protests, when Banja Luka citizens raised against illegal building in the city park. Dodik recently announced counter protests in the case Dragicevic. He has created his own personality cult. He defends Serbs from an imaginary enemy. When his people turned against him, he stood by the people. He protests against his own politics. It seems Dodik will steal yet another protests from the opposition.