SNSD, Press conference;IPC, Banja Luka
Participant: Milorad Dodik (president of SNSD)
RS Government & ICTY Law
Dodik strongly criticizes the work of the RS Government and adds that it is obvious that SDS and PDP will not stay in the coalition. “SDS officials know very well that it is going to be very difficult for them if PDP decides to break with SDS. On the other hand, PDP is trying to base its legitimacy on the adoption of the RS Law on cooperation with the ICTY. It is very well known that the IC does not support PDP and it is only thanks to this Law that the IC tolerates Ivanic’s Government. Ivanic even asked some IC representatives to apply pressure on us to vote for the Law. Of course we did not accept it. I will not reveal the names of the IC representatives but I can tell you that they asked us about that even though they knew we were not going to accept it. The word on the street is that PDP will try to eliminate SDS in September after the ICTY Law is passed”, says Dodik. As to the adoption of the RS Law on cooperation with the ICTY, Dodik says that the Law is nothing but a farce and that PDP and SDS are trying to drag other parties into it. “SDS and PDP are forcing other parties to take responsibility for something that they should be doing. SNSD will vote against the RS Law on cooperation with the ICTY at the next RS NA session in September because the DPA very clearly regulates this matter”, says Dodik.
Dodik says that there is not much room for maneuvering left to the RS after the extradition of three Bosniak officers. “The problem in the RS is that SDS has been persistently ignoring the ICTY. They were telling people that the ICTY is the court for Serbs only, etc.,etc.,… and now they want to be the first to adopt the Law”, says Dodik.
SDS
Dodik very strongly criticizes and even accuses an SDS official, Ljuban Ecim, of racketeering Banja Luka business people. “Ecim and his cronies enjoy the protection of the RS Interior Ministry. We have information about money extortion and we also know that people from the Police cannot do anything about it”, says Dodik. Dodik also claims that some leading people from the RS Customs Administration are involved in illegal business. “They are selling goods throughout the country and the money is used for financing Karadzic’s security. The man who stands behind this is Ljuban Ecim”, says Dodik.
SDP BiH & Lagumdzija’s statement
As to Lagumdzija’s statement that BiH institutions provided legal counsel for indicted war criminals, Dodik says that Lagumdzija’s statement is improper and anyone who wants to be a politician should not make statements like Lagumdzija’s. He also says that Lagumdzija must have been in a highly emotional state when he made the statement. Lagumdzija and SDP BiH are resorting to nationalist rhetoric that was so typical for war time leaders. Commenting on press release, issued by the BiH Foreign Ministry which says that Lagumdzija did not say what he said two days ago, Dodik says: “It is ridiculous”.
Kristal banka
Dodik says that the RS authorities are trying to present “Kristal banka” management as completely inept. However, the RS Government forgets that it did everything in its power to decrease the deposits of “Kristal banka”.
Asked to comment on list of people, who allegedly committed war crimes against Serbs and Croats in former BiH between 1992 and 1996 (Note: the list was published in yesterday’s edition of “Glas srpski” and contains names of Bosniaks who allegedly committed war crimes against Serbs and Croats. According to “Glas srpski” the list was released by the Documentation Center which operates within the RS Government.) Dodik says that he does not want to comment on anything published in “Glas srpski” because “Glas srpski” is designed to agitate for SDS and the RS Government.
Shadow government in September?
Dodik says that SNSD is working on creation of shadow government mostly comprising of SNSD members. According to Dodik, shadow government is the only alternative to the current RS Government. Asked to comment on rumors that SNSD is in secret negotiations with SDS, Dodik says that SNSD, as a serious party will negotiate with both SDS and PDP. However, the only solution acceptable for SNSD is to support the government in which SNSD will have 15 ministerial posts (out of 20).