Bosnian minister points finger at "state mafia"

Bosnian minister points finger at "state mafia"

Milorad Dodik, president of Bosnia's Serb entity, the RS, also spoke on Tuesday

to say that early elections were "unacceptable."

Radončić, who heads the SBB party, was interviewed by Sarajevo's private TV1 broadcaster when he said that citizens have been "unable to change those in power for 20 years, because those in power stole in elections, considering they have their own election commissions."

He noted that the idea to call early elections is being pushed by the ruling parties in the Muslim-Croat entity, the Federation (FBiH) - the SDP and the SDA - "although election legislation does not provide for that possibility."

Radončić then added that it was "not realistic" to expect that such voting would take place - because parties in the Serb Republic (RS) will not accept it.

"Instead of offering various papers, they would be better off offering resignations of their cadre," he said of the ruling parties, the SDP and the SDA.

In a statement for Sarajevo's TV Hayat, the minister said that "somebody must be held responsible for the 20 years of bad governance"

"We have 55 percent unemployment rate, and top the list of countries in Europe when it comes to poverty and systemic corruption. You have the authorities that steal all elections results."

Radončić stressed that "the police should not be allowed to die defending any government where most ministers have criminal complaints filed against them."

"People have been coming in front of entity governments hundreds of times, in front of cantonal governments. They slept there, they embarked on hunger strikes. They passed out in the hot weather, they froze in the cold. Arrogant authorities didn't even wish to notice them. Today, the citizens are emboldened. They started seeking their rights, the same happened in Greece and in EU countries, and in many other countries," he was quoted as saying.

Radončić then said he "stood by the justified people's revolt completely," and added that the only way out was for "the irresponsible individuals to withdraw from power."