DODIK FOR FRENCH MEDIA: WE WILL NEVER ACCEPT A SYSTEM BASED ON COERCION

BANJA LUKA, APRIL 18 /SRNA/ - Republika Srpska President Milorad Dodik said that Serbs in BiH are for peace, legality, and freedom, and that they will never accept a system based on coercion.

"We do not seek conflict or secession, but demand respect, legality, and balance. We are ready to defend peace, but we will not allow it to be used as an excuse to erase our identity, rights, and autonomy," Dodik said in an interview with the French portal Opinion Internationale. He said this is a fight for freedom and self-determination and that it will continue within the framework of the Constitution and laws. Dodik accused the political Sarajevo and its international mentors of betraying the Dayton Agreement, which envisions a balance of power between the authorities at the level of BiH and the entities. "What we are experiencing today is the result of unilateral decisions imposed by external factors," Dodik said. He says that the core of the internal political conflict in BiH lies in Sarajevo, where radical views and connections with Islamist circles persist, aiming to establish political Islam in the country. Dodik rejected the legal accusations from Sarajevo, saying they are part of a political campaign targeting him personally and the autonomy of the Republika Srpska government. He emphasized that he feels persecuted by politically motivated Muslims in Sarajevo, the liberal-globalist "octopus" from Brussels, and remnants of the former U.S. administration. "I have felt persecuted for years, even before these current developments related to the Court of BiH, which is unconstitutional. The Constitution of BiH does not contain any provision for such a court. This institution was imposed by a foreigner to enable rulings based on their own decisions. That court has employed loyal Muslims, and now we are faced with consequences," Dodik said. He said that even Donald Trump experienced almost identical problems in the United States, as did Marine Le Pen in France, Călin Georgescu in Romania, and the AfD in Germany. Regarding claims from Sarajevo that he is a fugitive, Dodik said this reflects their cynicism and bitterness, adding that this is not an attack on him personally, but on an entire system that refuses to submit. "They want to throw anyone who doesn't agree with them into dungeons. They want to preserve a system where `the judge is also the prosecutor`. They brought in a German without a mandate, who makes decisions based on which Muslim lawyers and judges pass judgments against Serbs. Since we don't accept those narratives, they resort to labeling us as `fugitives`. I think, in the end, I'll come out as a hero," Dodik said. He said that Christian Schmidt's practice of imposing laws threatens the fundamental principles of international law, the Constitution, and peaceful coexistence in the country.