2. DID LAJCAK GIVE IN TO BLACKMAIL?
BREAKING DEVELOPMENTS: Today (10.22.2007) the daily “Nezavisne Novine” from Banja Luka is reporting that High Representative Lajcak visited Premier Dodik of the “Republic of the Serbs”, in response to Mr. Dodik’s resignation announcement. After the meeting, they spoke with the media, and announced that Mr. Lajcak had clarified to Mr. Dodik the imposed modification of the BiH parliament procedures. Dodik stated that he now finds acceptable Mr. Lajcak’s explanation that the new necessary majority for passing laws in the parliament must include representatives from both entities. Still, Dodik reiterated that the measures that his party resorted to would remain in effect until he received a written legal document that would confirm what Lajcak had explained to him.
While their statements to the media are not sufficiently precise, it seems that the story of these measures has changed from what had been reported earlier. Namely, the stated intention was to lessen the ability of a small minority of representatives belonging to one entity to block legislation in the parliament. However, by what Dodik and Lajcak now say, it seems that this ability of a minority to blockade has been preserved by this measure. In fact, we have a concern that it may become even easier to block legislation, and so we hope that the written clarification that will be delivered to Dodik will be available to the rest of us as well.
We cannot speculate on whether this really was only a misunderstanding between Lajcak and Dodik, or a change of course by Lajcak forced by Dodik’s ultimatum. Either way, it seems that the effective blockade of Bosnia ’s Dayton institutions will continue.
Muhamed Borogovac Ph. D.