Milorad Dodik, a fugitive from the Bosnian judiciary and the President of Republika Srpska, was in Derventa today, where he participated in a forum titled “Conversation with the President.”
Dodik explained that the goal of the forum was to inform people about the current situation and the direction in which Republika Srpska will move forward.
He said that “Republika Srpska is committed to peace, but it will not allow the seizure of property and competencies.” He then announced new discussions with people in towns across the smaller Bosnian entity.
“I want people to work,” Dodik said, “but at the same time, I cannot, in the political process, allow us to be occupied in a way that strips us of our rights, our property, or anything else.” He then, referring to “mysterious” polls, claimed that the majority of Republika Srpska’s citizens support his policy.
“I’m pleased to see that in polls showing that 62 percent of people support Milorad Dodik and this policy, and you can see that here as well,” he stated.
As evidence of that claim, Dodik pointed to the number of people who attended the forum in Derventa.
“This meeting was arranged just two days ago—there wasn’t any special preparation. If there had been, even the Sports Hall might have been too small. That’s how it was in Trebinje; we had one in East Sarajevo, too. Now we’re here, and a few days ago we were in Prijedor. We didn’t hold a forum there, but we will once we implement some of the things we’ve announced—and we’ve already started. So, talking to the people is always healing,” Dodik emphasized.
Written by our correspondent D.I.
