BiH Presidency Chairman Milorad Dodik stated today in Istocno Sarajevo that linking the election of the Council of Ministers chair with the NATO Membership Action Plan (MAP) is totally unnecessary ultimatum set by political parties from the Federation of BiH (FBiH).
Commenting on the question asked by SRNA how he sees the fact that FBiH-based political parties link the formation of the Council of Ministers with the MAP activation, Dodik has said that there is no conditioning there.
“We are very clear. They know we do not want it. It is now an attempt to gain international publicity against us, as we are, seemingly, the problem for forming the Council of Ministers,” Dodik has stated at a major annual press conference.
The BiH Presidency chairman pointed out that Republika Srpska representatives at the state level are not entering a coalition with anyone, but taking seats belonging to the Serb people.
“At the mutual level, BiH gains power by composing it of electoral winners and representatives at different levels in the Federation of BiH and Republika Srpska. There is not a single seat in BiH at a state level that is elected at the level of entire BiH through direct elections,” Dodik has reminded.
He has emphasized that Republika Srpska can form the House of Peoples of the Parliamentary Assembly of BiH and the Council of Ministers at the moment, but it seems that the parties from the FBiH will not, or cannot agree.
“As the chairman of the BiH Presidency, I tried to put it on the agenda, but there was no consent for that. In the mandatory consultations with all political parties, no one had any remark to have a Serb for the chairman of the Council of Ministers, according to an agreement,” Dodik has reminded.
He has pointed out that during the consultations, he informed representatives of political parties that the coalition gathered around the SNSD has nine deputies in the House of Representatives of the Parliamentary Assembly of BiH who propose Zoran Tegeltija for the candidate for the chairman of the Council of Ministers.
No one had any objections. As far as we are concerned, adequate conditions have been created to finish this matter as soon as possible. The only remaining thing was to agree on the possible distribution of the departments and it is very rude to do it without a candidate for the chair. He is the one to coordinate this job,” added Dodik.
He has noted that there are positions of some political parties’ representatives that there should be a full agreement before anything is done.
Dodik has said that the ambition to build a coalition platform at the level of BiH is too big and rejected it as impossible, given the already expressed demands of the FBiH parties for the MAP as a condition.
“These can be their goals, but at the same time these are not our goal, but the military neutrality. If someone sets this type of goal, so the one prevents the election,” adds Dodik.
The BiH Presidency chairman has pointed out that it is time for the Republika Srpska’s flag to be wherever the political representatives of Republika Srpska are in Sarajevo.
Dodik has recalled the fact that the High Representative imposed the BiH flag and that it was not the result of a compromise.
“Where I stay as a member of the Presidency there should be a feature of Republika Srpska. BiH is nothing outside, because Republika Srpska has entered an integral part of its sovereignty and territory,” Dodik has said.
Dodik has pointed out that this can be seen clearly in the papers that were in circulation in Geneva and New York before the Dayton Agreement was signed, when Republika Srpska was accepted as a party in agreement.
