Dodik criticizes Bosniak politicians for supporting Orić

Dodik criticizes Bosniak politicians for supporting Orić

The RS "will have an adequate response to the new situation," Dodik said.

However, he noted that Serbs would not boycott common institutions in Bosnia-Herzegovina "because it would harm some projects in the RS, such as the gas pipeline South Stream."

"But we will certainly weigh our actions and behavior through decision-making procedures in the Council of Ministers, and demonstrate our views," Dodik said in an interview for EuroBlic.

His comments came after the Bosniak (Muslim) political leaders showed their support for the wartime commander of Srebrenica, Naser Orić, and his associates.

The Serbian State Prosecutor's Office recently issued an international arrest warrant for Orić and former chief of police in Srebrenica, Hakija Meholjić, for war crimes committed against Serb civilians along the Drina River valley in 1992. The suspects immediately sought the protection of the Bosniak political leaders.

Dodik criticized in particular SDP leader Zlatko Lagumdžija and the Alliance for a Better Future head Fahrudin Radočić.

Asked if he would terminate the political partnership with Lagumdžija, Dodik said that his party, the SNSD, has " a very broad partnership with the SDP and it therefore cannot be conditioned by these gestures," and then added that "what Lagumdžija did in the case of Orić is unacceptable."

"He could have done it as president of his party, but what is controversial is that he received and supported Orić as minister of foreign affairs of Bosnia-Herzegovina. He would not be in that office had there not been for the support of others in Bosnia, not just the SDP," said Dodik.

He also stated that he was "not surprised" by the reactions of Lagumdžija and Radončić to his criticism, and that the RS would come up with "even stronger" reactions.

"The actions of Bakir Izetbegović, who was elected by Bosniaks, are a different story. Nobody from the RS gave him any kind of consent, and he can behave in this way. But the common institutions need participation of all, and in order to function do not tolerate behavior such as that demonstrated by Lagumdžija and Radončić. We will not tolerate it," said Dodik.

The RS president added that he saw the outcome of the Orić case in court proceedings, and that "luckily in Serbia there is professional attitude of the judiciary and the War Crimes Prosecution, whose legitimacy is provided through the cases that they carried out against Serbs."

"Serbian courts should be trusted. Each country that Orić enters is under obligation to stop him and hand him over to the court that is seeking him. If they continue to protect him in the Federation (entity), Orić's range of movement will be from Baščaršija to Marijin Dvor," Dodik said, referencing two neighborhoods in Sarajevo.