GOVERNMENT OF SRPSKA HAS SHOWN CAPACITY TO RESPOND TO ALL CHALLENGES

BANJA LUKA, December 16 /SRNA/ - SNSD leader Milorad Dodik gave a positive assessment of the work of the Republika Srpska Government in its first 100 days, stressing that the Government has fulfilled its political, social and societal role.

"The Government has demonstrated the capacity to respond to challenges that were extremely important in this period, namely economic policy, the preservation of social stability, and the settlement of all budgetary obligations," Dodik said. He emphasized that the pension for November was paid in December, adding that the December pension will also be paid by the end of the month. "The Government took into account the extended holiday period, during which pensioners might otherwise have received their pensions only in mid-January. A significant effort was made to ensure that another pension is paid within this month," Dodik underlined. According to him, this represents a serious effort given that 167 million BAM are required on a monthly basis for pension payments. "It was necessary to secure funds for the payment of two pensions, and that is no small achievement. I believe that through this the Government has demonstrated its responsibility not only toward the pensioner population, which of course deserves special attention, but toward all other obligations as well," Dodik said. He added that the same pace of work will be maintained and that nothing will be called into question. Dodik also noted that the Government addressed political responses related to the status of Republika Srpska. "The Government, together with other institutions, has stabilized the overall situation in Republika Srpska. We went through unfair elections imposed by political Sarajevo, which threatened to destabilize Republika Srpska. That is why we now see constant insinuations and recounts in Sarajevo, as well as the inability and incompetence of the Central Election Commission to react," Dodik said. On the other hand, he added, the Government ensured the conditions for holding elections which once again demonstrated the will of the people in Republika Srpska.