Speaker's adviser "regrets explosives weren't used"

An adviser to the Montenegrin parliament speaker has reacted to criticism of his recent article, in which he "regreted explosives were not used in Borik". Andrej Nikolaidis says the outrage in the wake of his article is in fact "a media campaign conducted against him, in order to deal damage to (Montenegrin Speaker) Ranko Krivokapic". Speaker's adviser "regrets explosives weren't used" The subject of the controversial article, published online on the Analitika website, is last week's incident in Banja Luka's Borik sports venue, when arms and explosives were found ahead of a gathering to mark the 20th anniversary of the founding of the Serb Republic (RS). The celebrations were attended by top Serbian officials, including President Boris Tadic. The suspect in the case, Bozidar Stanisljevic, is currently held in Bosnia on terrorism charges. When he addressed the issue, Nikolaidis said he regretted the fact the explosives hidden at the venue were not put to use, and now claims that "one paragraph was taken out of context to ignore the essence". Referring to the suspect by a nickname, "Bole", Nikolaidis said on Tuesday: "It would also have been a civilizational step forward had Bole used the dynamite and the guns he hid at the arena in which the heads, spiritual leaders and artists celebrated the 20th anniversary of the RS. Had Bole been, for example, a disaffected worker, who realized that national and religious antagonisms are only a mask used by the elite to hide essential antagonism of any society, the class one. Had Bole, fore example said: I am a Serb, but I am also a worker, therefore I will blow up those who robbed me - would that not have been a civilizational step forward? It would also have been poetic justice." Nikolaidis further stated that his article "spoke about the fact that the RS was made on genocide, which was confirmed by the Hague Tribunal ruling", and asserted that it would also mean "justice and civilizational step forward" if the international community "abolished the RS and guaranteed a whole Bosnia-Herzegovina". Nikolaidis went on to say that he observed "a paradoxical situation", where "legitimacy is given to the RS, created on genocide, but the same centers are taking away the legitimacy of Montenegro's independence because it was allegedly a criminal undertaking". He said he saw "pressure on Bosnia and Montenegro" coming and being directed "from the same center". Nikolaidis refused to accept that his article represented hate speech, because such speech, he said, "was usually directed against an ethnic, religious or sexual group", while he had on this occasion reached for "class rebellion". Meanwhile, Montenegro's opposition Movement for Changes demanded that Nikolaidis be sacked from his job as the adviser to the Montenegrin parliament speaker, while the Montenegrin State Prosecution said the article he wrote "will be a subject of their interest". A view of the Montenegrin capital Podgorica (file) Tanjug

Speaker's adviser "regrets explosives weren't used"

The subject of the controversial article, published online on the Analitika website, is last week's incident in Banja Luka's Borik sports venue, when arms and explosives were found ahead of a gathering to mark the 20th anniversary of the founding of the Serb Republic (RS).

The celebrations were attended by top Serbian officials, including President Boris Tadić. The suspect in the case, Božidar Stanišljević, is currently held in Bosnia on terrorism charges.

When he addressed the issue, Nikolaidis said he regretted the fact the explosives hidden at the venue were not put to use, and now claims that "one paragraph was taken out of context to ignore the essence". Referring to the suspect by a nickname, "Bole", Nikolaidis said on Tuesday:

"It would also have been a civilizational step forward had Bole used the dynamite and the guns he hid at the arena in which the heads, spiritual leaders and artists celebrated the 20th anniversary of the RS. Had Bole been, for example, a disaffected worker, who realized that national and religious antagonisms are only a mask used by the elite to hide essential antagonism of any society, the class one. Had Bole, fore example said: I am a Serb, but I am also a worker, therefore I will blow up those who robbed me - would that not have been a civilizational step forward? It would also have been poetic justice."

Nikolaidis further stated that his article "spoke about the fact that the RS was made on genocide, which was confirmed by the Hague Tribunal ruling", and asserted that it would also mean "justice and civilizational step forward" if the international community "abolished the RS and guaranteed a whole Bosnia-Herzegovina".

Nikolaidis went on to say that he observed "a paradoxical situation", where "legitimacy is given to the RS, created on genocide, but the same centers are taking away the legitimacy of Montenegro's independence because it was allegedly a criminal undertaking".

He said he saw "pressure on Bosnia and Montenegro" coming and being directed "from the same center".

Nikolaidis refused to accept that his article represented hate speech, because such speech, he said, "was usually directed against an ethnic, religious or sexual group", while he had on this occasion reached for "class rebellion".

Meanwhile, Montenegro's opposition Movement for Changes demanded that Nikolaidis be sacked from his job as the adviser to the Montenegrin parliament speaker, while the Montenegrin State Prosecution said the article he wrote "will be a subject of their interest".