MINIĆ: STORY OF REINSTALLING THE ATONEMENT MONUMENT MARKS THE START OF ELECTION CAMPAIGN

BANJA LUKA, FEBRUARY 27 /SRNA/ - Savo Minić, Prime Minister of Republika Srpska, said today that political Sarajevo engages only in actions that distort history or have had grave consequences for the Serb people, adding that the initiative to reinstall the monument to Archduke Franz Ferdinand follows that pattern and, in his view, marks the beginning of the campaign for the general elections.

Minić recalled that there have been numerous outpourings of hatred from the FBiH, while, he said, there has been none from Republika Srpska. "When have you ever heard any words of hatred coming from Republika Srpska?" Minić asked at a press conference in Banja Luka. He recalled incidents of gunfire in the Federation of BiH /FBiH/, chants under which Serb fighters were beheaded, and songs calling for killing, pointing out that all of this has been met with silence. "What is happening in political Sarajevo and its surroundings only reinforces the need for us to be stronger, more resolute, and more united, regardless of how some may perceive that," Savo Minić emphasized. He also believes that the messages coming from Sarajevo have a clear aim, to provoke a reaction from Republika Srpska, but stressed that they will not succeed. "We will defend Republika Srpska, we will not give up its institutions, and we will have our partners, and that partner is Serbia, which is both a signatory to and a guarantor of the Dayton Peace Agreement," Minić emphasized. He said that it is impossible to build a common narrative if Republika Srpska is being insulted daily. "We want peace and stability, but we will not allow attacks," Minić said, adding that authorities in Sarajevo can do as they wish, but pointing out that the people in the FBiH do not support such a narrative. According to him, the people are concerned with the economy and with discussing economic potential. "Unfortunately, those who have nothing else to say about the economy and development resort to grotesque nationalist narratives," Minić concluded.