The International Institute for Middle-East and Balkan Studies (IFIMES) from Ljubljana responds in this press release to the press release of the Government of the Republika Srpska (BiH), which carries unexact, dismissive, misleading, harmful and offending statements about the International Institute for Middle East and Balkan Studies (IFIMES) as well as individuals from the management of the Institute.
The quoted press release of the Government of the Republika Srpska (RS) confirms that the Government and its Prime Minister Milorad Dodik have recognized themselves in the statements of individuals from the management of the Institute IFIMES, which refer to the lack of activities and acts of the former Ambassador of the Republic of Slovenia Mrs. Nataša Vodušek to Bosnia and Herzegovina. The issues discussed were, in any case, neither the Government of the RS nor its Prime Minister, but Ambassador Vodušek’s engagement in BiH. Since the Government of the RS and Milorad Dodik tried to defend the Ambassador Vodušek, they acted as her protectors. This is sufficient confirmation of everything that has been stated so far regarding the activities of Ambassador Vodušek in Bosnia and Herzegovina, more precisely in Banja Luka, during her mandate and during her numerous official and even more numerous unofficial meetings with Milorad Dodik, the President of the Government of the RS. If there is anybody who would have to defend Ambassador Vodušek, this should have been the Government of the Republic of Slovenia, whose representative Ambassador Vodušek was and not the Government of the RS. But, as the Government of the RS already is in the process of (or has formed?) establishing its parallel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, we would not have been surprised had they nominated Ambassador Vodušek as the Ambassador of the RS, so as not to produce any confusion regarding who she represents and whose interests she protects.
The key reasons and the explanation of the Dodik propaganda machinery, headed by his Goebbels (the term is being used by the local media), Rajko Vasić, could be found in the ethnic origin of individuals from the management of the IFIMES. From this point of view, Rajko Vasić’s latest statement – that a Jew cannot be President of Bosnia and Herzegovina – is hardly surprising. IFIMES has, so far, in its analysis extensively covered the anti-semitism of Dodik’s Alliance of Independent Social Democrats (SNSD). This is hardly a surprise, keeping in mind earlier statements by Dodik – that he could not be prosecuted by judges of Muslim origin, or that a rapporteur of the Council of Europe for BiH could not come from Turkey, whilst at the same time stressing the need for increasing co-operation among Orthodox nations during a meeting with the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Kiril Smolesky, on the 18th December 2008 in Moscow.
The International Institute IFIMES does not have any intention of entering primitive polemics and to dwell on the ethnic origin of individuals; however, the fact that an intensive gathering of empirical evidence regarding Milorad Dodik’s role during the war is underway and will be presented within few months cannot be neglected. The evidence mentioned brings Milorad Dodik close to war crimes. It is of utmost importance that those crimes would be processed, with the process being handled by professional judges whose ethnic origin is not an issue. It would also be high time that Mr. Dodik would stop manipulating public into believing that he, who was a member of the Radovan Karadžić War Parliament of the RS, was not a wartime leader. We would like to remind him to remember everything he said during those times. Most of it is recorded.
Furthermore, it is of high importance to renew and broaden the trial against Milorad Dodik, based on the 33 points of the indictment referring to his criminal activities. The previous trial was closed in 2005. Certain findings, as well as the evidence being collected, could prove that, during the trial mentioned, documents were falsified and pressure put on witnesses, all of which, if proven, could lead to worrisome conclusions.
Therefore, it is understandable that Milorad Dodik, whose days/months are expiring, is nervous. He would most likely be replaced by Igor Radojičić, who declares himself a Montenegrian. This means that Serb leaders in Bosnia will continue to come from Montenegro (Radovan Karadžić).
In any case, whether Dodik is pronounced guilty or innocent is not important. The public creates its own image of each exposed individual or institution, and the one it sees of Dodik is rather clear.
The International Institute IFIMES would like to remind Milorad Dodik that, during the recent course of history, there have been individuals much stronger than he (like Slobodan Milošević) who finished their political careers without any glory.
Together with what has been already been mentioned, one could also list the armament of the RS, cases of (semi) legal privatization, setting up of the administrative headquarters of the Government in Banja Luka, creation of (para) military formations under the coverage of protective companies as well as the lawsuit of Dodik against the highest representatives of the international community in Bosnia and Herzegovina, including the American Raffi Gregorian, the deputy HR and others, who are there to assist the country to become a legal and prosperous state, as well as to take care about the implementation of the Dayton Peace Accords.
The International Institute IFIMES expresses its concern about the fact that in July 2008 in Athens, Dodik’s party, SNSD, became a member of the Socialist International. This fact reminds us of Adolf Hitler and his National-Socialist Party (NSDAP), which was originally believed to stick to socialist and social-democratic ideas. Such comparisons between SNSD and National-Socialist Party are not coincidental at all and should worry political leaders who meet Dodik, because the time will come when many of those who have been meeting and co-operating with him will try to erase those details from their biographies. Among them are also the former Prime Minister of Slovenia and the then President of the EU Council Janez Janša, as well as the current Prime Minister Borut Pahor, whose Social Democratic Party (SD) has been intensively co-operating with Dodik’s SNSD for decades.
Apart from the already mentioned, one could list much more about Milorad Dodik, who is known to the public as the Serbian Jean-Marie Le Pen.
Lately Dodik has been seen often in the company of Dragan Čović (HDZ), against whom five judicial processes are underway. Both are driving a campaign against Sven Alkalaj, a Jew, the Foreign Minister of BiH, who is heavily engaged in spreading the truth about BiH around the world, in the interest of all BiH citizens and its ethnic groups. Dodik was not satisfied with open expressions of anti-semitism from his party SNSD against Alkalaj; his goal is to fully eliminate Alkalaj from political life, and, with assistance of the agreement from Prude, together with Dragan Čović (HDZ) and Sulejman Tihić (SDA), to destroy BiH.
Last but not least, the International Institute IFIMES sends the message to Milorad Dodik that its presence in BiH will continue and strengthen, and will, regardless of any pressure and threats, remain with the citizens of BiH and continue to raise concerns about harmful activities of certain politicians and political parties. Also, for this reason, IFIMES has proposed to European institutions to introduce a visa free regime for all citizens of Western Balkan countries, while at the same time to introduce visas to all holders of diplomatic and official passports, the way done by US administration.
It should not be citizens that suffer from punishment, but Dodik himself and similar individuals in BiH, as well as in the region where there are plenty. During the last few years we have witnessed assassination attempts on members of the International Institute IFIMES, some of which were, unfortunately, successful. In Iraq, on the 8th of February 2005, in an assassination attempt on our member Mithal Al-Alusi, his two sons were killed. The last one happened exactly one year ago in Pakistan, where the IFIMES member Benazir Bhutto was killed; this all gives us additional strength and motivation to continue with our mission.
The strong wish of Milorad Dodik to drive out international judges and other international officials from BiH, as well as to dismantle the OHR, although the Dayton Peace Accords have not yet been fully implemented, is highly obvious. However, precisely because of Dodik and his politics, the international community has to increase its future presence in BiH, in particular the OHR. Bosnia and Herzegovina and its citizens can not and must not become hostages of the politics of Milorad Dodik and of those like him.
The International Institute IFIMES sends this message to Dodik that IFIMES can not be bought, although many others have been bought one way or another. There is a proverb in BiH, which says that ‘no light stays lit ‘til sunrise’.
Ljubljana, January 5, 2009