Dodik Accuses Britain, US of Meddling in Bosnia
The President of the Republika Srpska has accused the US and British embassies of blatant interference in the forthcoming elections in Bosnia – which both embassies have denied.
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| President of the Republic of Serbian entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Milorad Dodik in Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina, 2018. Photo: EPA-EFE/VLADIMIR STOJAKOVIC |
Bosnian Serb President Milorad Dodik, who is standing as a candidate for the Serbian seat on Bosnia's state presidency in the October 7 elections, has said he will stop “the interference of foreigners” in the affairs of the country if he wins the elections.
“Forty British operatives came to Bosnia. Five are right now in Banja Luka. They are very operative ... every day they are dealing with issues of destabilization," Dodik on Monday told a meeting of his ruling coalition.
He said various foreign governments had invested around 20 million euros in the process of interference in Bosnia.
"The British have provided about 6 million pounds for involvement in various media, some 'structural' groups and non-governmental organizations. And a 12 million dollars came from the old American administration for alleged election issues," Dodik said.
“We have information on who met the representatives of the embassies and when – and what they were talking about. There is pressure on certain people not to change sides. They threaten people," Dodik said, not presenting any evidence.
He claimed that this diplomatic interference in Bosnia's internal affairs was permanent but not often talked about – and thanked Serbia's President, Aleksandar Vucic, for opening up the topic recently.
Vucic said on Monday in Belgrade that, after the October elections in Bosnia, he would present "astonishing evidence of the most brutal interference of certain Western powers in the elections in the RS."
Both embassies have strongly rejected allegations of interference in the election process in Bosnia.
“We strongly reject such appalling accusations. We do not back one candidate or one party over another”, the US embassy said on Wednesday in a press release.
"The United States has demonstrated our dedication and commitment to the people of Bosnia over more than two decades, and yet irresponsible actors continue to drag us into conspiracy theories, unfounded accusations, and, bluntly, lies," the embassy added.
“The real enemies, as we all know, are corruption, unemployment, poor public services like education and healthcare, and self-centred politicians who choose not to address these issues but instead try to turn the United States and other friends of BiH into adversaries," the embassy continued.
It said that politicians' manipulation of citizens with ceremonious events, such as opening traffic circles, offering free services in hospitals, and so on, was “a mockery and insult to citizens in Bosnia.”
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