KARAN: ELECTIONS ARE OPPORTUNITY FOR SRPSKA TO DEFEAT SCHMIDT

HAN PIJESAK, NOVEMBER 14 /SRNA/ – SNSD's candidate in the upcoming early presidential election in Republika Srpska Siniša Karan stated in Han Pijesak that November 23 is an opportunity for Srpska to defeat Christian Schmidt.

"This is a referendum on the framework of our lives. By voting for me, you are voting for Republika Srpska and for ensuring that no one decides on your behalf," Karan told residents, stressing that wherever Serbs do not have their own state, they either no longer exist or have become a national minority. He said that everything SNSD does, it does for Republika Srpska and its young people, and that a vote for him is a vote for preserving Srpska. Karan noted that the first association with Han Pijesak is heroism, because the town sacrificed greatly during the past war. "Republika Srpska was created in peace, but we had to defend it in war, and that is where the heroism of Han Pijesak is seen. Now you have the chance to vote in peace and decide whether we stand with the occupier Schmidt or with Republika Srpska. This is an opportunity to deliver the final blow to the occupier Schmidt," Karan emphasized, calling for unity in order to preserve Srpska. SNSD President Milorad Dodik said that Serbs must persevere, because if they give in now, they will lose their freedom. Dodik urged citizens to vote for Karan in the upcoming election, warning that anyone who does not do so must be aware that this is a vote for Schmidt and Sarajevo. "I was put on trial because I do not respect a German occupier, because we opposed him and refused to let him destroy us! Through me, they wanted to destroy you. This election is your chance to defeat Schmidt," Dodik said while addressing residents. He added that he chose to oppose Schmidt’s attempts because he is a fighter who will always stand with the Serb people and support their survival. "I could have accepted it and kept quiet like Mladen Ivanić and many others, but I fought and listened to the people who want to survive. That is why this election is a referendum," Dodik stressed. SNSD Vice President Radovan Višković said that Republika Srpska did not need the upcoming election, but was forced into it because, unfortunately, Serbs were unable to unite around the most important issues. According to him, SNSD wanted to demonstrate a unified stance and ensure that Republika Srpska has its own president, while the opposition preferred to align with Sarajevo. “That is why we could not allow it, and that is why I urge you to go out and vote, and give your support to Karan, who has been with us since the founding of Srpska,” Višković said. Han Pijesak Mayor Slobodan Đurić noted that the municipality is already seeing benefits from the Igrišta Ski Center, in which the Government of Republika Srpska invested funds, and that the gasification project could be transformative for the entire area. "All of this will ensure a better quality of life for the citizens of Han Pijesak and attract investors," Đurić said, adding that the town has not received this level of support and investment since the 1990s. For all these reasons, Đurić concluded, it is necessary for SNSD's presidential candidate to achieve a historic victory in this election.