Post by Caslav Klonimirovic on Jan 12, 2011 10:00:44 GMT -5
www.news24.com/World/News/Bosnia-falling-appart-Serb-leader-20110109
Bosnia falling appart: Serb leader
Sarajevo - Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik said on Sunday Bosnia-Hercegovina was "falling apart", and warned that Serbs would not accept further decentralisation needed for it to progress towards EU membership.
"Bosnia is a divided society," Dodik, president of the Bosnian Serb entity Republika Srpska, said in an interview on state television to mark the 19th anniversary of Bosnian Serb-proclaimed autonomy.
Dodik said post-war Bosnia, which consists of two semi-autonomous entities, the Republika Srpska and the Muslim-Croat Federation, "is in the phase of falling apart... as it has not found an internal consensus on how it should look."
"For us (the Serbs), Bosnia is a place of punishment," Dodik said.
Bosnian Serbs formed their own institutions in January 1992, to counter Muslim and Croats aiming to proclaim independence from the former Yugoslavia.
The Dayton Accord in 1995 ended three years of war and divided the Balkan country into two entities linked by weak central institutions.
The international community, notably the European Union, wants these central institutions to be strengthened to facilitate reforms necessary for it to be eligible for EU and Nato membership.
"Europe must realise what it possible here and what is not possible," Dodik said.
"If you want to take away our authority and make a unified, centralised country, then, thank you European Union... we wouldn't be the only country in the world which isn't a member," Dodik said.
The Muslim-Croat entity is yet to form a government since October 3 elections, and analysts warn the process of establishing a central government could take months and exacerbate tensions.
The 1992-95 war pitted Muslims, Serbs and Croats against each other claiming about 100 000 lives.
- SAPA
Bosnia falling appart: Serb leader
Sarajevo - Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik said on Sunday Bosnia-Hercegovina was "falling apart", and warned that Serbs would not accept further decentralisation needed for it to progress towards EU membership.
"Bosnia is a divided society," Dodik, president of the Bosnian Serb entity Republika Srpska, said in an interview on state television to mark the 19th anniversary of Bosnian Serb-proclaimed autonomy.
Dodik said post-war Bosnia, which consists of two semi-autonomous entities, the Republika Srpska and the Muslim-Croat Federation, "is in the phase of falling apart... as it has not found an internal consensus on how it should look."
"For us (the Serbs), Bosnia is a place of punishment," Dodik said.
Bosnian Serbs formed their own institutions in January 1992, to counter Muslim and Croats aiming to proclaim independence from the former Yugoslavia.
The Dayton Accord in 1995 ended three years of war and divided the Balkan country into two entities linked by weak central institutions.
The international community, notably the European Union, wants these central institutions to be strengthened to facilitate reforms necessary for it to be eligible for EU and Nato membership.
"Europe must realise what it possible here and what is not possible," Dodik said.
"If you want to take away our authority and make a unified, centralised country, then, thank you European Union... we wouldn't be the only country in the world which isn't a member," Dodik said.
The Muslim-Croat entity is yet to form a government since October 3 elections, and analysts warn the process of establishing a central government could take months and exacerbate tensions.
The 1992-95 war pitted Muslims, Serbs and Croats against each other claiming about 100 000 lives.
- SAPA