Bosnia’s Foreign Trade and Economic Relations Minister told N1 that he does not like what is happening to society in Bosnia’s Serb-dominated part, calling the current atmosphere "one of the worst ever."
Minister Mirko Sarovic is a member of the Serb Democratic Party (SDS), which is part of the ‘Alliance for Victory’ coalition representing Bosnian Serbs in the state level Government. That coalition is, however, also the opposition in Republika Srpska (RS), Bosnia’s Serb-dominated semi-autonomous entity.
“If I would change something in Bosnia and Herzegovina, I would decrease the length of the election campaign period, I think it is too long. It should last for a maximum of 20 days, and I don’t like the state of society, democratisation and freedom in Republika Srpska these days. This is one of the worst periods,” he said.
“The state of freedom is at the lowest level, it was the best right after the war ended,” he said, calling the situation “devastating”.
“We in the Alliance for Victory and the SDS expect that this is the moment when changes in Republika Srpska will happen, and we are convinced that we have good candidates for key positions, a good list,” he said.
The atmosphere in the RS is currently as it is because of the election, he said.
“I am one of the candidates and I am convinced that an important moment has come in which Republika Srpska can begin heading a different way,” he said.
Everything in the RS is a matter of party membership, Sarovic said, adding that SNSD leader and RS President Milorad Dodik only cares about who is a member of his party and does not let people who show good results succeed unless they are members of the SNSD.
“It is a catastrophe. The President of the RS (SNSD’s Milorad Dodik) says you can be the best, but that this does not matter – you have to be a member of his party in order to succeed,” he said.
A career should be built up based on one’s results, Sarovic said.
“You don’t have to be loud and be recognised based on that, but based on putting in effort and work,” he said.
