Analyst: Vucic Not Strong Enough To Topple Dodik

Cvijetin Milivojevic (Photo: YouTube)

Politicologist Cvijetin Milivojevic stated on Oct. 6 that Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic did not possess the power for toppling Milorad Dodik, and that Belgrade's goal in the elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina was to passivize the leading politician in Republika Srpska (RS).

Milivojevic told BETA that relations between the authorities in Serbia and RS had not been good for a while now. In his words, Vucic has promised the U.S. to passivize Dodik in return for a lax approach to Serbia's not imposing sanctions on Russia.

"Vucic's goal was to pull a chair from under Dodik, but election results have proven this impossible in this moment. In agreement with the U.S., Vucic has attempted to prevent Dodik from becoming the president of RS, so that Jelena Trivic of the opposition Party of Democratic Progress could become the entity's leader, and also to make Dodik have to ask the opposition for help in forming the government.  However, Dodik and his party have won persuasively at all levels, despite obstructions from Belgrade," Milivojevic said.

"The extent of President Vucic's fury over the immense support Dodik and his Party of Independent Social Democrats got in the elections is also measured in the fact that none of the Serbian state officials had congratulated them. Even the regime's media, which have praised him to the skies until only yesterday, now consider Dodik a forbidden word. Moreover, the right-wing opposition have also not dared congratulate Dodik on winning the election...," stated the politicologist.