The mayor of Bratunac, Lazar Prodanovic, had the courage to publicly speak the truth and condemn the kleptocratic policy of the SNSD, which is turning Republika Srpska into a Warsaw ghetto. For now, he is the only member of the ruling party who has spoken out on what the public has been speculating for years is happening in the ranks of this party, but also the political scene in this entity of BiH, and that is crime, corruption, nepotism, the placing of personal interests of individuals before the welfare of citizens of, in this particular case Bratunac, and Republika Srpska in general.
His criticism comes as a result of being witness and victim to increasing pressure and blackmail from the SNSD, which tries to impose its will and interests at the local level, regardless of the needs and wishes of their fellow citizens.
With this speech he showed that he has courage, conscience and dignity, and above all a sense of responsibility and respect for his fellow citizens unlike many other politicians who act as vassals and servants, demonstrating that he is neither a vassal nor servant of an autocracy, but a man who cares about the interests of his fellow citizens. He showed that he was not blinded and deluded by the false promises and propaganda of the ruling system.
Prodanovic’s speech is just the latest in a long litany of criticisms that point to the deep crisis in which the Republika Srpska finds itself under the rule of the SNSD, which with its coalition partners demonstrate hypocrisy and duplicity by presenting their policies as acts of patriotism, while on the other hand, those very policies have led to the brink of social and economic ruin, through the looting of public funds and the sale of natural resources, depriving the citizens of Republika Srpska of all that belongs to them.
With this speech, he earned praise and support, in the hope that other political leaders will follow his example, because in a multiethnic society such as Bosnia and Herzegovina, what is needed is civic politics, not ethno-national rhetoric and divisions. We need policies that build bridges, not walls. We need a policy that promotes cooperation and tolerance, and not conflict and hatred. What is needed is a policy that protects the rights and interests of all citizens and aims for the rule of law, not the privileges and immunity of individuals.
It is well known that the SNSD cannot tolerate criticism from free-thinking citizens, activists, journalists and the opposition, because it fears the truth, change and social revolt, so it tries in every way to silence and eliminate all those who dare to oppose the dictatorship and say loud and clear that the emperor is naked. In the Kafkaesque process, through sets of repressive laws (the Law on the Special Register and the Public Work of Non-Profit Organizations, the Law on Media) and the criminalization of slander, in the name of the entity Republika Srpska they declare as enemies and agents of foreign influence all those who think differently and who want better for this BiH entity.
The question is how will the SNSD punish Prodanovic for his act of courage? Will they remove him from office or expel him from the party? Will they accuse him of treason or try to discredit him? Will they try to intimidate or blackmail him? Will they declare him an enemy or foreign agent?
And finally, perhaps more importantly, how will the citizens of Bratunac react to their Mayor’s speech? Will they support him or condemn him? Will they respect him or despise him?
It remains to be seen if this split in the ranks of the SNSD and the ruling coalition is the beginning of something even bigger, which could lead to the beginning of their end.
