After several days of public clashes, an audio recording of a phone conversation between SNSD leader Milorad Dodik and SDA leader Bakir Izetbegović has been released. The conversation is filled with harsh words, accusations and provocations, coming after a series of harsh statements between the two politicians.
In the recording published by “Srpski glasnik”, Dodik is heard starting the conversation with a direct question regarding “threats of force” and claims that he has information that “the mujahedin want to eliminate him”, asking Izetbegović if he stands behind these claims.
Izetbegovic rejects these accusations, calling them “nonsense”, explaining that when he spoke of “force”, he was referring only to justice, which according to him should stop Dodik’s destructive politics over the last two decades.
During the conversation, accusations are exchanged about “buying MPs”, rapprochement with foreign centers of power, the situation in the entities, and the interpretation of the Dayton Peace Agreement. At one point, Izetbegović calls Dodik a “harmful” person who leads a “thieves’ policy” and who, according to him, is causing harm to his own people.
Dodik responds by calling Izetbegović a “useful idiot” for Serbs and saying that no one will touch him. What is particularly striking in this recording is the manner and tone of communication. According to the analysis of the conversation, it seems that Dodik, through the way he formulated his sentences and chose his words, was addressing his electorate more than Izetbegović himself.
Dodik’s speech was constructed in such a way as to sound like a defense of the interests of Republika Srpska in the face of “threats from Sarajevo,” a narrative often used to gain political support within his electorate. The clash began after Izetbegović appeared on Bosnia and Herzegovina’s federal television (FTV) two days ago.
Speaking about the political crisis, he declared that the issue of Milorad Dodik’s position would ultimately have to be resolved with “some kind of force,” clearly referring to the reaction of the justice and law enforcement institutions. “Justice and the international community will ultimately have to implement the laws, the Dayton Agreement and the Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Without the rule of law, which should apply to every individual, including Dodik, this country will not move forward,” Izetbegović had declared. He added that he hopes that citizens in Republika Srpska also understand this and that Dodik will one day leave politics, just as, according to him, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban left.
This statement seems to have angered Dodik, who then published several reactions on social networks, saying that “Bakir, out of fear, has dared to threaten”. After this, Dodik decided to personally call Izetbegovic, while the conversation took place the day before. /Telegraph