The President of the Republika Srpska Milorad Dodik, Prime Minister Radovan Višković and the President of the Nenad Stevandić, provoked a new political provocation by his arrival in Banja Luka, despite the Defense Minister of Bosnia and Herzegovina Zukan Helez.
Their performance was far from the discrete – three officials, with smiles, posed relaxed for photos and toast to cameras. Thus, they once again demonstrated their political attitude and ignoring decisions coming from the level of the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
In the “Kozara” barracks in Banja Luka, I attend the central ceremony on the occasion of the celebration of the Army of the Republika Srpska and the third infantry republic of the Serbian Puka Armed forces of BiH. pic.twitter.com/ohy0qjfkn3
– Milorad Dodik (@miloraddodik) May 12, 2025
Recall, Helez ordered the Joint Staff of the Armed Forces of BiH a few days to prohibit the three politicians in the Military Complex of the Kozara barracks, given the investigation against them for the demolition of the BiH Constitutional Order. However, this command was obviously not implemented.
Prime Minister Višković arrived in the barracks first this morning, and then Dodik and Stevandić. No one tried to stop them at the entrance. They were greeted by Deputy Minister of Defense BiH Aleksandar Goganović and the High Military Officers. Despite the political and legal context, the hosts welcomed them without visible resistance or comment.
Their presence on the celebration of the RS Army and the third infantry (RS) of the Puka Armed Forces of BiH was further upset by the public, given that everything has been happening until these politicians have been responding to the Prosecution of BiH for almost two months. In addition, public gestures like toasting in uniform military environments, in the company of officers, have been experienced as direct ridicule of state bodies.
An open question is who is responsible for ignoring the Minister of Defense, and why no security or military instance has responded at the time of the arrival of accused politicians on the military facility, writes Clix.
