An independent Republika Srpska (RS) entity was a war-time goal and the Dayton Peace Agreement is a compromise that giver the RS its autonomy – everything else is an adventure from which the entity could get the short end of the stick, the leader of the opposition Serb Democratic Party (SDS) in Bosnia’s Serb-dominated RS entity, Mirko Sarovic, told N1 Wednesday, adding that his party would support the dissolution of BiH only in case of a broad consensus in the country.

“The independent Republika Srpska was a war-time goal. The Dayton Agreement (which ended the 1992-1995 war in Bosnia) is a compromise. The SDS believes the Dayton Agreement is the best solution because it provides RS with its autonomy. Everything else would be very problematic and an adventure from which the RS could draw a short end of the stick. We believe that there is no alternative to the Dayton architecture of BiH,” Sarovic said.

Speaking about the recent announcement by the leader of the ruling party in the RS, the Alliance of Independent Social Democrats (SNSD), Milorad Dodik, who is also the Serb member of Bosnia’s tripartite Presidency, that RS institutions could withdraw from the agreement on the state-level judiciary and the Armed Forces of BiH, Sarovic said that Dodik and others like him love the state of constant crisis and that he (Dodik) would like for it to last by the end of spring next year.

“He’s constantly producing crisis events like unpacking the Dayton, peaceful dissolution… I believe he is not capable of following through with what he’s saying. We were very clear about the unpacking of the Dayton Agreement. I must say that the return of Dayton's original competencies is very acceptable to my party, but it should be noted that those competencies were transferred [to the state level] by the votes of Serb MPs,” Sarovic pointed out.

He believes that with these talks, Dodik is leading the RS into uncertainty. Even Republika Srpska's traditional friends like Russia, China and Serbia, he said, have always supported the Dayton Peace Agreement. According to him, Dodik’s ideas are supported by those who are against the RS, they applaud him for what he is doing and Sarovic believes this is something the RS should not go into.

“The SDS is not against the peaceful dissolution of BiH in case there is an absolute consensus on this matter in the country, but such a consensus doesn’t exist,” Sarovic confirmed.

When asked what would it take for the current crisis in the country brought by Serb ministers in the BiH government’s boycott due to international community former High Representative to BiH Valentin Inzko’s ban on genocide denial and glorification of war criminals, the SDS leader said it would have to be the freezing of Inzko’s decision and the implementation of peaceful elections.

“Normal topics need to dominate [the political discourse] and those who win the election should give themselves a reasonable deadline to resolve this issue. This is a horrible crisis with a potential of becoming even worse,” Sarovic told N1.

Speaking about Inzko, Sarovic said the thing he holds against him the most is the said decision.

“Inzko made this decision some three or four days before leaving office. [Before that] he sat here for 11 or 12 years. That’s my biggest objection against him,” Sarovic said, adding that this issue should have been regulated by the Parliament and that anyone who finds themselves a victim would have had a greater satisfaction that the law was adopted by the Parliament instead of being imposed by a High Representative.