SNSD leader Milorad Dodik said that the elections were fair and honest, confirmed by international observers, and that the opposition can gather in the park for the announced protest, but there won't be a walk around the city.
Dodik said that in principle he can say that it is the opposition's right to hold a protest, but he considers it to be a meaningless story because they don't have the energy. After all, they have a park where they can gather. There will be no marches around town. We don't need any harassment of the objectors. They can take them where they are taken. If they think the votes should be counted again, let them be counted. If the relevant authorities decide to fight it again, it is not a problem. There is no reason to do it, except for speculation, said Dodik.
He stated that international observers also confirmed that the elections were fair and honest and that there were no objections, especially not those that could influence the election process.
Banjaliuka doesn't need that kind of story, not because I'm the winner. If I had lost, I would have congratulated and finished the story a long time ago. I don't expect anyone to congratulate me. They are spreading a story that is irrational and they are based on some irrational things. I see that even Mladen Ivani who should have been expected to be rational, but obviously wasn't, stated that the result was only announced at one o clock, Dodik told ATV.
The SNSD leader stressed that the CEC gave instructions to count the votes for the members of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Parliamentary Assembly, which is a complex counting mechanism.
It was only around 11: 00 a.m. that the votes for the President of the Republika Srpska began to be counted, and it was not until one in the morning that some data could be given, which was done. We based our data on the signed minutes of the polling boards. I am glad that what we announced almost identically as the CEC announced, said Dodik.
He pointed out that the opposition is divided and they don't know what to do.
The opposition decided on that kind of story. I think there is no potential there and I think it will evaporate very quickly because there are no elements for it. I don't think there is any potential in the people. The people came out and voted. I lost the elections in Banja Luka and it was not great news for me, but that is reality. The elections are not only held in Banja Luka, but in the entire Republika Srpska, said Dodik.
He pointed out that it is necessary to make the data official as soon as possible in order to deal with serious matters such as the formation of the government.
As for the formation of the government and the Council of Ministers, I don't think it will be easy. Not because of us or the HDZ, but because of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. We need to keep four ministries, we will certainly look for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said Dodik.
He said that the SNSD with the coalition has a strong parliamentary majority.
He said that he will ask the coalition partners if they are ready to support the story of a concentration government and invite some rational elements from the other side of the opposition to be part of our efforts to at least have stabilized internal relations at a time of complete destabilization of global relations.