Dodik: Dayton not being violated

Here's the thing, Dodik doesn't get to decide whether he's violating the Dayton Accords or not, it is the High Representative whose job it is to make that determination.
(FairPlay, 30 December 2009 11:37)
--
Is that right? This sounds more like a dictatorship than democracy. Dodik is simply excercising his democratic rights to a referendum while you are calling for dictatorial measures. Here is your position "You must obey us and do as we say, you must join NATO otherwise we will remove you from power", however, Dodik is saying "Lets ask the people of RS what they want and I will support their position".

I will choose Dodik's democracy over your dictatorship any day. It is the Wests policies that are leading to instability. Serbians will not bow to NATO or foreign dictators.

Well done Milorad, hold your ground and stand firm.

its time now for independence and who gives them the right to tell the Serbs what to do its not like Russia are china is going in their countries and telling them what to do so they should get out of Serbian affairs and vote for independence and then they could sit on the Bosnian and croat federation and tell them what to do.

FairPlay wrote: "A consensus is being established that his politics are the biggest obstacle to SE European stability and integration of the Balkans into NATO/EU."

Consensus among who?

FairPlay wrote: "Also the majority of Bosnia's citizens see him as the main reason why the country has stagnated on its road to visa free travel and EU membership."

Hmmm? If the majority of the citizens feels this way, then how did he get elected? If he is that unpopular, I would expect him to disappear from the political scene after the next election. So what is the problem?
--

Here's the thing, Dodik doesn't get to decide whether he's violating the Dayton Accords or not, it is the High Representative whose job it is to make that determination. And Mr. Inzko has clearly stated that Dodik's actions constitute a serious breach of the Dayton Peace Accords. Dodik is turning himself into the main obstacle to peace and stability in the Balkans. He might have seemed like an interesting character at first but now his charades are getting quite old and tiering. It is becoming evermore clear that Bosnia is the key to Balkan stability and for the success of the EU/NATO mission in this last remaining part of Europe that is not incorporated into Western political institution. It is clear that Dodik is on the wrong side of history and that his attempts at destabilizing Bosnia are not in anyones interest except his own. A consensus is being established that his politics are the biggest obstacle to SE European stability and integration of the Balkans into NATO/EU. Also the majority of Bosnia's citizens see him as the main reason why the country has stagnated on its road to visa free travel and EU membership. The logical thing to do is for the international community to step up its involvement in Bosnia and to place the appropriate sanctions on Dodik and his political party until he agrees to the constitutional reforms that are necessary to make the country stable and enable it to join NATO and the EU two key goals to which the majority of Bosnia's citizens aspire to. If the international community and Bosnian politicians continue to appease Dodik the result will be another massive ethnic conflict in the Balkans and the large investments and gains that have been made in the last decade would have been for naught. Its time to call it as it is, to officially proclaim Dodik and his party as the main reason of instability and long-term problems in the Balkans and to take the appropriate measures (which are cheap and relatively easy to do) in order to neutralize the security threat he poses. Bosnia's future is that of a stable multi-ethnic and multi-religious country that is a member of NATO and the EU and the appropriate measures need to be taken to ensure that outcome including putting pressure on Dodik and his party to stop their lame tactics of creating instability and not allowing the country to move forward.

I believe FairPlay is a speech writer for the High Representative Inzko. The long, arrogant but empty rhetoric points to this direction.

im with gajo on this one,historically speaking we're a hospitable folk, realistically though, at this hour,get the funk out before our djs get itchy and bust up this floor

These are the last desperate acts of a tragic man sure to go down in history as one of the Serbs' many charismatic leaders who lead their followers into ruin. If he continues along this path of escalation he will be officially proclaimed as violating the Dayton Peace Accords and his political career will end shortly after that. The simple fact is that there is no global nor regional support for his policies and he does not have the resources to follow up on his hollow promises and threats. Dodik has made it clear to everyone that the Dayton Accords are unsustainable and that for Bosnia to function as a state and for the Balkans to be stabilized they will have to be scrapped and replaced by a new democratic constitution. If Dodik through his own brash and irrational actions nullifies the Dayton Accords he will be doing everyone interested in helping Bosnia a huge favor. I sincerely hope that he continues down this path of escalation and that Bosnia and Herzegovina gets the democratic functional constitution that its people deserve once Dodik and his hateful ideology have been dealt with properly.

GRUK,
I find your comment that foreign intervention stopped the Balkans war somewhat ironic, given that one might say that without foreign intervention, there would not have been a Balkans war in the first place. Yugoslavia would not have disintegrated, and Bosnian Muslims, Serbs, and Croats (and others) all would have been living in one country today. I find it even more ironic that the Bosnian Muslims did not want to live together in a multi-ethnic Yugoslavia, but now want to do so in Bosnia. Also ironic that when the Bosnian Muslims and Croats voted to separate from Yugoslavia, it did not matter to them that the Serbs (more than 33% of the population) boycotted the vote. Now, you want all three sides to get together to figure out a plan for a unified Bosnia. But, if the plan is not what the Bosnian Muslims want, then it ought to be imposed by an international dictator. Otherwise, the mantra goes - there will be conflict/ renewed violence. Well, the Serbs are not clamoring for war - only for their democratic rights. Why is that frowned on? Once that is accepted, and the people of Bosnia take responsibility for their own detinies (instead of looking to the past and to certain international actors to do their bidding) can the Balkans move forward.

The Dayton Peace Accords were not written in a democratic manner. They were signed by political leaders without ever consulting the Bosnian people. They were signed while half of the Bosnian population was forcefully displaced from their homes and thousands had died in the genocide that was perpetrated. If Dodik wants democracy then he will have to sign up to a democratic constitution to which the majority of Bosnian citizens agree. I repeat Dayton is a not a democratic constitution nor can it ever be. Dayton needs to be scrapped, the entities need to be dissolved, and a new democratic constitution needs to be set up. Dodik does not get to decide which parts of Dayton to adhere to and which parts to violate. If he violates even one part of the Peace Accords he is violating the entire Peace Agreement and that has the consequence of nullifying Dayton since nobody else in Bosnia likes the unethical Dayton Accords to begin with. These latest actions by Dodik are the beginning of the end of his political career and the existence of the entity he represents. Without Dayton the two entities do not have any legal foundation and will be automatically dissolved. What follows is the drafting of a new democratic constitution that makes the country stable and functional so that it can become a member of NATO and the EU. A return to violence is simply not in anyones favor least of all Serbia which would have to accommodate thousands of Bosnian Serb refugees. The time has come for bold action. The international community needs to intensify its involvement in Bosnia and needs to work with moderate Bosnians of all ethnic and religious backgrounds to create a new functional, stable, and democratic constitution that will allow Bosnia to stand on its own feet and will allow the country to join NATO and the EU.

No one wants a new war and new waves of refuges just to protect Dodik's corruption and criminal activities. He is about to be arrested and in order to avoid it he is trying to create own state!! No way, everyone is in an agreement, international community, Bosnia's neighbours and especially Bosnians.

Dodik is already history like Karadzic, Mladic etc. Bosnia will continue to exist undivided simply because it is unbreakable. Many, many had tried it before,...

It’s worthwhile remembering why the Dayton Peace Accords came into being. It was to stop a war. It was to get the combatants to lay down their arms. Arguably, the accords stopped Bosnia & Herzegovina falling apart (or even being torn to pieces by neighbours) and built the basis of reconciliation. It was to provide peace to ALL the citizens of Bosnia & Herzegovina – a peace that couldn’t be provided by their leaders (including the elected leaders and those of neighbouring countries). Remember, Jan Anderson, Tudjman and Milosevic were elected and what did they do to achieve peace?

The accords were signed in Dayton for a reason. It proved impossible for the belligerents to make peace without external support – otherwise we would have the Belgrade Peace Accords or the Sarajevo Accords or the Zagreb accords (or even the Pale Peace Accords!!!). Oh, wouldn’t it be wonderful if the Balkan wars could have ended without the need for outsiders. I have no criticisms of ordinary BH citizens who have a Serb, Croatian or Bosniak heritage – I just feel disappointed that their leaders seem unable to complete the job started at Dayton – to live together in peace. All these years later we still see structural barriers within BH that frustrate the desire of all its citizens to live TOGETHER in peace. Together in one country.

It seems hypocritical to me to read comments like “get out of Serbian affairs” (Gajo). Comments like these only serve to portray the view that a Greater Serbia was and continues to be the goals of many Serbs. Did those who enjoyed the peace, only do so in order that they could reappear, after a respectable time had passed, and continue their war aims?

May the New Year bring peace to all BH citizens and shame and dishonour to those who wish to return to the agenda of the Balkan wars.

Dayton peace accord is just that, peace accord. If one side decides to abrogate it, we are back to war. Being stubborn did not pay off in Montenegro, Croatia, Kosovo, there is no reason for it to work in Bosnia

Here's the thing, Dodik doesn't get to decide whether he's violating the Dayton Accords or not, it is the High Representative whose job it is to make that determination. And Mr. Inzko has clearly stated that Dodik's actions constitute a serious breach of the Dayton Peace Accords. Dodik is turning himself into the main obstacle to peace and stability in the Balkans. He might have seemed like an interesting character at first but now his charades are getting quite old and tiering. It is becoming evermore clear that Bosnia is the key to Balkan stability and for the success of the EU/NATO mission in this last remaining part of Europe that is not incorporated into Western political institution. It is clear that Dodik is on the wrong side of history and that his attempts at destabilizing Bosnia are not in anyones interest except his own. A consensus is being established that his politics are the biggest obstacle to SE European stability and integration of the Balkans into NATO/EU. Also the majority of Bosnia's citizens see him as the main reason why the country has stagnated on its road to visa free travel and EU membership. The logical thing to do is for the international community to step up its involvement in Bosnia and to place the appropriate sanctions on Dodik and his political party until he agrees to the constitutional reforms that are necessary to make the country stable and enable it to join NATO and the EU two key goals to which the majority of Bosnia's citizens aspire to. If the international community and Bosnian politicians continue to appease Dodik the result will be another massive ethnic conflict in the Balkans and the large investments and gains that have been made in the last decade would have been for naught. Its time to call it as it is, to officially proclaim Dodik and his party as the main reason of instability and long-term problems in the Balkans and to take the appropriate measures (which are cheap and relatively easy to do) in order to neutralize the security threat he poses. Bosnia's future is that of a stable multi-ethnic and multi-religious country that is a member of NATO and the EU and the appropriate measures need to be taken to ensure that outcome including putting pressure on Dodik and his party to stop their lame tactics of creating instability and not allowing the country to move forward.

These are the last desperate acts of a tragic man sure to go down in history as one of the Serbs' many charismatic leaders who lead their followers into ruin. If he continues along this path of escalation he will be officially proclaimed as violating the Dayton Peace Accords and his political career will end shortly after that. The simple fact is that there is no global nor regional support for his policies and he does not have the resources to follow up on his hollow promises and threats. Dodik has made it clear to everyone that the Dayton Accords are unsustainable and that for Bosnia to function as a state and for the Balkans to be stabilized they will have to be scrapped and replaced by a new democratic constitution. If Dodik through his own brash and irrational actions nullifies the Dayton Accords he will be doing everyone interested in helping Bosnia a huge favor. I sincerely hope that he continues down this path of escalation and that Bosnia and Herzegovina gets the democratic functional constitution that its people deserve once Dodik and his hateful ideology have been dealt with properly.

Well done Milorad, hold your ground and stand firm.

The Dayton Peace Accords were not written in a democratic manner. They were signed by political leaders without ever consulting the Bosnian people. They were signed while half of the Bosnian population was forcefully displaced from their homes and thousands had died in the genocide that was perpetrated. If Dodik wants democracy then he will have to sign up to a democratic constitution to which the majority of Bosnian citizens agree. I repeat Dayton is a not a democratic constitution nor can it ever be. Dayton needs to be scrapped, the entities need to be dissolved, and a new democratic constitution needs to be set up. Dodik does not get to decide which parts of Dayton to adhere to and which parts to violate. If he violates even one part of the Peace Accords he is violating the entire Peace Agreement and that has the consequence of nullifying Dayton since nobody else in Bosnia likes the unethical Dayton Accords to begin with. These latest actions by Dodik are the beginning of the end of his political career and the existence of the entity he represents. Without Dayton the two entities do not have any legal foundation and will be automatically dissolved. What follows is the drafting of a new democratic constitution that makes the country stable and functional so that it can become a member of NATO and the EU. A return to violence is simply not in anyones favor least of all Serbia which would have to accommodate thousands of Bosnian Serb refugees. The time has come for bold action. The international community needs to intensify its involvement in Bosnia and needs to work with moderate Bosnians of all ethnic and religious backgrounds to create a new functional, stable, and democratic constitution that will allow Bosnia to stand on its own feet and will allow the country to join NATO and the EU.

Here's the thing, Dodik doesn't get to decide whether he's violating the Dayton Accords or not, it is the High Representative whose job it is to make that determination.
(FairPlay, 30 December 2009 11:37)
--
Is that right? This sounds more like a dictatorship than democracy. Dodik is simply excercising his democratic rights to a referendum while you are calling for dictatorial measures. Here is your position "You must obey us and do as we say, you must join NATO otherwise we will remove you from power", however, Dodik is saying "Lets ask the people of RS what they want and I will support their position".

I will choose Dodik's democracy over your dictatorship any day. It is the Wests policies that are leading to instability. Serbians will not bow to NATO or foreign dictators.

It’s worthwhile remembering why the Dayton Peace Accords came into being. It was to stop a war. It was to get the combatants to lay down their arms. Arguably, the accords stopped Bosnia & Herzegovina falling apart (or even being torn to pieces by neighbours) and built the basis of reconciliation. It was to provide peace to ALL the citizens of Bosnia & Herzegovina – a peace that couldn’t be provided by their leaders (including the elected leaders and those of neighbouring countries). Remember, Jan Anderson, Tudjman and Milosevic were elected and what did they do to achieve peace?

The accords were signed in Dayton for a reason. It proved impossible for the belligerents to make peace without external support – otherwise we would have the Belgrade Peace Accords or the Sarajevo Accords or the Zagreb accords (or even the Pale Peace Accords!!!). Oh, wouldn’t it be wonderful if the Balkan wars could have ended without the need for outsiders. I have no criticisms of ordinary BH citizens who have a Serb, Croatian or Bosniak heritage – I just feel disappointed that their leaders seem unable to complete the job started at Dayton – to live together in peace. All these years later we still see structural barriers within BH that frustrate the desire of all its citizens to live TOGETHER in peace. Together in one country.

It seems hypocritical to me to read comments like “get out of Serbian affairs” (Gajo). Comments like these only serve to portray the view that a Greater Serbia was and continues to be the goals of many Serbs. Did those who enjoyed the peace, only do so in order that they could reappear, after a respectable time had passed, and continue their war aims?

May the New Year bring peace to all BH citizens and shame and dishonour to those who wish to return to the agenda of the Balkan wars.

its time now for independence and who gives them the right to tell the Serbs what to do its not like Russia are china is going in their countries and telling them what to do so they should get out of Serbian affairs and vote for independence and then they could sit on the Bosnian and croat federation and tell them what to do.

No one wants a new war and new waves of refuges just to protect Dodik's corruption and criminal activities. He is about to be arrested and in order to avoid it he is trying to create own state!! No way, everyone is in an agreement, international community, Bosnia's neighbours and especially Bosnians.

Dodik is already history like Karadzic, Mladic etc. Bosnia will continue to exist undivided simply because it is unbreakable. Many, many had tried it before,...

FairPlay wrote: "A consensus is being established that his politics are the biggest obstacle to SE European stability and integration of the Balkans into NATO/EU."

Consensus among who?

FairPlay wrote: "Also the majority of Bosnia's citizens see him as the main reason why the country has stagnated on its road to visa free travel and EU membership."

Hmmm? If the majority of the citizens feels this way, then how did he get elected? If he is that unpopular, I would expect him to disappear from the political scene after the next election. So what is the problem?
--

I believe FairPlay is a speech writer for the High Representative Inzko. The long, arrogant but empty rhetoric points to this direction.

GRUK,
I find your comment that foreign intervention stopped the Balkans war somewhat ironic, given that one might say that without foreign intervention, there would not have been a Balkans war in the first place. Yugoslavia would not have disintegrated, and Bosnian Muslims, Serbs, and Croats (and others) all would have been living in one country today. I find it even more ironic that the Bosnian Muslims did not want to live together in a multi-ethnic Yugoslavia, but now want to do so in Bosnia. Also ironic that when the Bosnian Muslims and Croats voted to separate from Yugoslavia, it did not matter to them that the Serbs (more than 33% of the population) boycotted the vote. Now, you want all three sides to get together to figure out a plan for a unified Bosnia. But, if the plan is not what the Bosnian Muslims want, then it ought to be imposed by an international dictator. Otherwise, the mantra goes - there will be conflict/ renewed violence. Well, the Serbs are not clamoring for war - only for their democratic rights. Why is that frowned on? Once that is accepted, and the people of Bosnia take responsibility for their own detinies (instead of looking to the past and to certain international actors to do their bidding) can the Balkans move forward.

im with gajo on this one,historically speaking we're a hospitable folk, realistically though, at this hour,get the funk out before our djs get itchy and bust up this floor

Dayton peace accord is just that, peace accord. If one side decides to abrogate it, we are back to war. Being stubborn did not pay off in Montenegro, Croatia, Kosovo, there is no reason for it to work in Bosnia