President Milorad Dodik stated in Banjaluka that Republika Srpska wants peace and stability, which it showed during the rally “Heart for Srpska – Stop the Betrayal!” on Saturday.
“Republika Srpska is not a threat to anyone. We want peace, freedom and stability,” said Dodik.
Republika Srpska will be built according to the will and wishes of its people, said Dodik.
“Republika Srpska is as big as much as its happiness and stability are desired. There are many of our people around the world who love Republika Srpska and they can definitely count on us,” he said.
Dodik said he had never allowed anyone to disrespect Republika Srpska.
“I didn’t allow that to officials around the world, during meetings with foreign officials. We must tell our Muslim neighbours here that not all of them are terrorists, but we must fight terrorism together.”
He emphasised that the Serbs had to fight for their country, which was definitely Republika Srpska.
“I’m not interested in any show-offs who say that Republika Srpska is not a state. That’s not true – for us, it is a state,” said Dodik.
The Srpska president recalled that through history, the Serbs brought freedom to everyone and that they gave many lives during such struggle.
“We don’t want to relive the suffering like that experienced in Jasenovac and that’s why we want peace, freedom and stability. The Serbs are not against anyone, but they must respect us,” he said.
Dodik reiterated that Republika Srpska was committed to complying with the Dayton Peace Agreement and opposed any kind of imposition of will from Sarajevo.
“Don’t mess with our Republika Srpska because it is our freedom, which we love more than anything.”
Dodik assessed that Republika Srpska and Banjaluka wrote a bright page in their history on Saturday.
“The two rallies in Banjaluka today are peaceful, and at ours there are seven times more people than at the opposition’s. Over there, there are our brothers and friends who will soon realise in what a delusion they are,” said the president.
He noted that Republika Srpska was being defended from treason in Sarajevo on Saturday.
“Treason is when you minimise the competencies of Republika Srpska, adopt a coordination mechanism without consulting the Srpska institutions, when you mustn’t say that you love Serbia and when you want to be superior to Republika Srpska,” said Dodik.
He recalled that there were no longer 150,000 Serbs in Sarajevo and that Srpska did not hold anything against anyone.
“SDS leader Mladen Bosic is annoyed by Serbian Patriarch Irinej when as a spiritual leader he calls for peace, stability, unity of the Serbs, while he is not annoyed when the departing Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutogly says in Banjaluka that Turks had been here and will be here. Shame on you, Bosic,” said Dodik.
Republika Srpska will not be used as small change nor be a subject of persecution, he vowed.
“We say – don’t mess with our Republika Srpska, we can’t give you any of it, because if we do, we will give you our heart, love and freedom. If there’s no freedom, there’s no state,” he said.
“We want to be respected and will respect anyone with good intentions. Republika Srpska is an unavoidable factor and the Serbs have two states – Serbia and Republika Srpska.”
Dodik called on the gathered citizens to chant “Serbia” and told Bosic that Serbia is not inhabited by extremists.
“You can’t tell someone they are hungry and have a salary in Sarajevo that is higher than the Srpska president’s. That’s why there are 35,000 people here today, and only 5,000 at the opposition protest,” concluded Dodik.
Dodik called on the crowd to disperse calmly, which they did.
The rally in the Krajina Square in Banjaluka was attended by Prime Minister Zeljka Cvijanovic, Democratic People’s Alliance /DNS/and Socialist Party leaders Marko Pavic and Petar Djokic, top officials of the two parties and numerous citizens.
Other attendees included entity ministers, MPs, delegates in the BiH parliament, and top officials from the ruling coalition.
Source: SRNA
