Dodik wants more powers for RS

Republic of Srpska (RS) PM Milorad Dodik says he will propose a federal-confederal arrangement of Bosnia with the forthcoming constitution changes. "The foreigners have in all these past years asked for more and insisted on concessions from the RS. We will how ask Bosnia-Herzegovina to make a concession. Some powers must be reinstated," he told Glas Srpske newspaper in Banja Luka on Saturday. Dodik wants more powers for RS Dodik said that all RS institutions will be taking part in the process of Bosnia's constitutional changes, emphasizing that as long as he heads the government in Banja Luka, and the Alliance of Independent Social-Democrats (SNSD) party, "no one will sign anything that comes without a consensus of the public and institutions". Speaking about the Prud political agreement which he signed along with the Party of Democratic Action (SDA) leader Sulejman Tihic, representing Muslims, and Dragan Covic, who heads the Croatian Democratic Alliance of Bosnia-Herzegovina (HDZ BiH), Dodik said the deal must be viewed as a whole. "Either all, or none of its provisions will be implemented," he warned, adding that the agreement's collapse would rule out the possibility of any compromise in Bosnia. Speaking about the mandate of the Office of the High Representative (OHR) in Bosnia, the RS premier said he learned that this international office has a financial plan ending in mid-2009, and deduced that the mission might be leaving Bosnia after that deadline. "Should the OHR wish to prolong its stay, then that will be hypocrisy, which should not be ruled out. We are used to a hypocritical policy of the international community and we have felt many consequences of it." Dodik also said that the judicial reforms in Bosnia have failed, since "there are people who have bought the judicial system." "In Banja Luka everyone knows exactly who owns which prosecutor and judge. Mafia has the money to buy some civil servants in the public governance, and, naturally, in the media." This "conscious and planned" criminalization of the RS institutions is undermining the very foundations of its existence, he continued, and blamed international representatives for failing to tackle real crime, and instead "attacking a construction company". "They don't mind crime, but they do mind anything that symbolizes the Republic of Srpska. For this reason they object to the government building, since Banja Luka, since this Republic of Srpska, according to them, must not have one. What I claim with full responsibility is that the government is conducting its business in a transparent manner." Dodik also said that he was unhappy with the performance of the RS Special Prosecution, and said that the government could only pass laws for its establishment and fund it from the budget, while anything else would mean meddling in the work of an independent judicial institution. The main problem, the RS prime minister continued, is that judges and prosecutors with this office were appointed by the OHR, "and that they answer to no one". A file photo of Milorad Dodik (FoNet)

Dodik wants more powers for RS

Dodik said that all RS institutions will be taking part in the process of Bosnia's constitutional changes, emphasizing that as long as he heads the government in Banja Luka, and the Alliance of Independent Social-Democrats (SNSD) party, "no one will sign anything that comes without a consensus of the public and institutions".

Speaking about the Prud political agreement which he signed along with the Party of Democratic Action (SDA) leader Sulejman Tihić, representing Muslims, and Dragan Čović, who heads the Croatian Democratic Alliance of Bosnia-Herzegovina (HDZ BiH), Dodik said the deal must be viewed as a whole.

"Either all, or none of its provisions will be implemented," he warned, adding that the agreement's collapse would rule out the possibility of any compromise in Bosnia.

Speaking about the mandate of the Office of the High Representative (OHR) in Bosnia, the RS premier said he learned that this international office has a financial plan ending in mid-2009, and deduced that the mission might be leaving Bosnia after that deadline.

"Should the OHR wish to prolong its stay, then that will be hypocrisy, which should not be ruled out. We are used to a hypocritical policy of the international community and we have felt many consequences of it."

Dodik also said that the judicial reforms in Bosnia have failed, since "there are people who have bought the judicial system."

"In Banja Luka everyone knows exactly who owns which prosecutor and judge. Mafia has the money to buy some civil servants in the public governance, and, naturally, in the media."

This "conscious and planned" criminalization of the RS institutions is undermining the very foundations of its existence, he continued, and blamed international representatives for failing to tackle real crime, and instead "attacking a construction company".

"They don't mind crime, but they do mind anything that symbolizes the Republic of Srpska. For this reason they object to the government building, since Banja Luka, since this Republic of Srpska, according to them, must not have one. What I claim with full responsibility is that the government is conducting its business in a transparent manner."

Dodik also said that he was unhappy with the performance of the RS Special Prosecution, and said that the government could only pass laws for its establishment and fund it from the budget, while anything else would mean meddling in the work of an independent judicial institution.

The main problem, the RS prime minister continued, is that judges and prosecutors with this office were appointed by the OHR, "and that they answer to no one".