The Republika Srpska (RS) President, Milorad Dodik, denied the allegations of physically assaulting opposition candidate for the RS parliament, Drasko Stanivukovic, claiming that the alleged attack was staged.
Speaking at a press conference in Celinac on Sunday, a north-western town in the RS, Bosnia's Serb-dominated entity, Dodik said he neither touched the opposition politician nor that person was injured.
“They instructed and sent children to bring stones and disturb the rally in Celinac,” Dodik said.
Dodik and his Alliance of Independent Social Democrats (SNSD) held a rally in Celinac on Sunday, while Stanivukovic, as he said, was in the same area for the ceremony of setting a cornerstone for a bridge construction in that local community.
Stanivukovic, who is a candidate of the Party of Democratic Progress (PDP) for the RS parliament in the Bosnia's October election, said Dodik's security personnel started offending and cursing him, and eventually surrounded him. He published a recording of the alleged Dodik's attack on his Facebook page.
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Dodik claims the opposite.
“During my address, I greeted also those who don't share the same opinion. When I returned to the spot where I earlier stood, I found a shouting and fuss, which I had heard during my address. I absolutely deny the contact with any person. I haven't touched or hit anyone, nor anyone did that,” the RS President said,
According to Dodik, the police apprehended certain persons.
“Stanivukovic too had a stone in his hand. He approached the area where the protected persons were standing, and nobody hit him,” he added.
The RS President said that provocation was the only tool the opposition had to use, and he called for a fair election campaign where nobody would be disturbed.
