HELEZ'S BIZARRE BEHAVIOR JEOPARDIZING STABILITY OF BiH AND REGIONAL RELATIONS

SARAJEVO, FEBRUARY 10 /SRNA/ - The efforts of the Defense Minister in the Council of Ministers Zukan Helez to crown himself as the "first among Bosniaks" or at least as the "first SDP member" oscillate between tragicomic and bizarre, which would not be a serious problem if his bizarre behavior didn’t jeopardize internal stability of BiH and regional relations and cooperation, Staša Košarac, Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers, told SRNA.

"His latest statement, in which he made a series of insults towards the leadership of Republika Srpska and Serbia, is more than scandalous," said Košarac. Košarac warned that Helez continuously sends very problematic and concerning security messages that are, in addition, inaccurate, highly arbitrary, and populist, intending to raise tensions and position himself within the party structure and with the electorate. He emphasized that Helez is morbid and brings no good to anyone, and assessed that the already familiar and worn-out pattern in which Helez attacks the presidents of Republika Srpska and Serbia, Milorad Dodik and Aleksandar Vučić, respectively, thinking that he will gain a few points with Bosniaks, is evident. Košarac pointed out that Helez does not care that his thoughtless actions jeopardize regional relations with Serbia, which is a friendly country and one of BiH's most important foreign trade partners. "Is this Helez's way of thanking Serbia, which is a guarantor of the Dayton Peace Agreement and supports the sovereignty of BiH, consisting of two entities and three constituent nations?" Košarac asked. He asks whether this is Helez's way of thanking Serbia for its sensitivity and all the selfless help it constantly provides to BiH, for the aid in extinguishing fires, for the vaccines during the coronavirus pandemic, and for the fact that Serbia provided large quantities of certain agricultural products when it was necessary for producers in both Republika Srpska and the Federation of BiH. He assessed that what Helez is doing is extremely ugly and highly thoughtless, emphasizing that Serbia has never interfered in the internal affairs of BiH. "Even today, no comments can be heard from Serbia regarding the chaotic situation in the Federation of BiH – from protests, union announcements, dissatisfaction, and complaints about the minimum wage, to the situation in the mines... Helez doesn't say a word about it," said Košarac. Instead, he added, Helez takes it upon himself to side with those who do not wish well for Serbia and work to undermine its government, all while insulting President Vučić in an unsubstantiated, brutal, and morbid manner. "This benefits no one, not even him personally," Košarac said. In his statement to the daily Danas, Helez uttered a number of insults directed at the authorities in Serbia and Republika Srpska, saying, among other things, that "Vučić does not deserve to be free, let alone be the president of the country".