Bosnian-SERB leader sentenced to jail in landmark trial

A one -year jail sentence and a six -year ban on holding a public office may seem like a heavy punishment for a politician.

But Bosnian-SERB leader Milorad Dodic highlighted the decision in Bosnia and Herjegovina’s court.

The president of the country’s majority-and-recruitment Sripulbika Sripaska region told the supporters at a rally in the regional capital Banja Luka that “there was no reason for concern”.

He said that his fault on the allegations of ignoring the decisions of the international high representative was “nonsense”.

Dodic stated that he had “learned to deal with more difficult things” and called the crowd in the actual capital of Republic Sarpska to be “cheerful”.

The verdict was the culmination of long -running conflict between Dodic and Bosnia and Herjegovina, the International High Representative for the Christian Schmidt.

Schmidt still has the highest right in Bosnia, 30 years after the Dhanon Agreement which ended the 1990s Bosnian war.

The higher representative has the power to implement or not to implement laws – and the dismissed officers from judges to political leaders.

A former holder of the post, Paddy Ashdown, a former leader of the UK Liberal Democrats, dismissed around 60 Bosnian-SERB officials in a single day in 2004, which was in a crack on the protection of war criminals.

But the powers of the high representative have been used with great restraint in later years, as international supporters from Bosnia stepped back in the hope that local leaders would work together to create a viable and rich country.

The strategy has not been successful. Ethno-nationalist leaders are included in a country that is divided into two “institutions”-a majority-serb Republika Sarpska and Federation, where the population is mostly Bosniax and Crot.

The central government is weak – and there is very little encouragement for the cooperation of parties. Instead, their guiding philosophy is simple and self-desired: divided, rules and benefits.

As a result, the country is struggling with low wages, a dull economy and a continuous flow of emigration by talented people, which is looking for a better future.

Toby Vogel, co-founder of the Democratization Policy Council Think Tank, says, “Bosnians of all ethnicities are united with their disdain for their own leaders.”

“They would not like to vote for these people, but it is almost impossible for cross-commercial politicians and parties.”

Instead, leaders like Dodic are elected, time after time. The leader of the SNSD party has served as the first three-person Serb Representative of the National Presidency and became the first Prime Minister of Republic Sarpska in 1998.

A continuous theme of his leadership has been a threat to trigger the separation of the majority-SERB region.

Dodic and his government have consistently worked to weaken Bosnia’s national institutions, with the armed forces, judiciary and tax system to withdraw a series of laws to withdraw the Republic Sarpska.

Such efforts eventually pushed the higher representative to take action and cancel the separatist law.

The Christian Schmid warned that a renovation of the conflict was possible, but insisted that he would not still “sit, while others want to end (decades) of peace, stability and progress”.

Dodic clearly saw that as a challenge. While announcing, he approved a law that the Republic Sarpska would no longer accept the rule of Schmidt. The high representative had already canceled the law – and made a criminal offense contrary to its decisions.

Due to this, the prosecution of the Bosnian-SERB leader was taken up-the relatives called for a maximum five-year jail sentence and a 10-year ban on the elected post. Dodic warned that if he is found guilty, he would “radical measures”.

His sentence has not done any fireworks so far. At this point, Dodic is emphasizing that he will not appeal. Instead, the government of Republika Sripaska is once again proposing a law to withdraw from national institutions – including the court, who passed the convict’s decision.

But Dodic is facing problems beyond the borders of Bosnia. The US and Britain have imposed restrictions on that and its family for corruption – there is a threat to the unity of Bosnia and Herjegovina – and relations with Russia.

Tobby Vogel believes that the Bosnian-SERB leader is more likely to threaten than the court sentence.

“The struggle with the high representative will intensify,” they say. “But dodic can walk out of the road well.”

“He is running out of cash to pay his bloated administration … and he can no longer raise money on international markets. So, he is really in a very deep trouble.”

None of these will be very comfortable for the long -standing people of Bosnia and Herzegovina. They are still waiting for the prosperity promised by ethnic-nationalists such as Dodic. This is the latest court battle shows how far this possibility is.