Camil Durakovic, the Vice President of Bosnia’s Republika Srpska (RS) entity told N1 he took the position and moved to Banja Luka, the entity’s administrative centre, to be closer to the citizens he was elected to serve. 

“I moved to Banja Luka to be available to citizens, in the city that is the administrative centre of this entity,” Durakovic said.

When asked if the newly elected RS President and the leader of the ruling Alliance of Independent Social Democrats (SNSD) Milorad Dodik welcomed him, Durakovic said he felt a different approach from Dodik than what can be seen on TV.

“I can feel that pulse, it's not the Dodik from the public perception. He even said at one point that he wanted Bosniaks, Serbs and Croats to live in peace. The Patriarch greeted me personally, came back to greet me, literally congratulated me and said that he wanted to cooperate, and it was he who sent messages of a much milder tone to Dodik and to all of us. The Banja Luka Mufti was also there at the reception, as well as the Bishop Franjo Komarica. That is the pulse and energy of BiH which we must raise and expand,” the RS Vice President said.

When asked if he met with Dodik one on one, he said no.

“We didn't talk one on one, but we did in passing. We are still negotiating basic operating conditions. Dodik has already received us in the palace (seat of the RS government). We were there yesterday, he invited us, and that’s a signal that the Vice Presidents are consulting with the President. After that, we had separate meetings with Dodik,” Durakovic said.

Asked if he would tell Dodik to stop denying the genocide, Durakovic said he would never tell him that.

“I will never tell him that. For me, judgments are a matter of whether someone is a legalist or not, it’s not a matter of politics. Verdicts for genocide are enforceable and final, and there is no politicking about it. Why should I ask Dodik if he recognizes the genocide recognized by the highest court in the world? He mustn’t deny it now. When did we hear him after Inzko's law? No matter how much they go around and deny it, I'd like to know who said it publicly” he asked.

Speaking about people leaving the country over the past nine years Durakovic said the reason is “the polluted political environment. Uncertainty, fear for security. I tried to feel the pulse of the citizens, I travelled 17 thousand kilometres in my campaign. I am not fighting for an armchair, I was fighting for trust in order to improve the conditions in which we live”.