Legal expert Ognjen Tadić stated for RTRS that the political trial against Republika Srpska President Milorad Dodik and Acting Director of the Official Gazette Miloš Lukić before the Court of BiH is aimed at removing the President of Republika Srpska from political life.
Tadić outlined three main goals of this process:
- To eliminate the current president of Republika Srpska from political life.
- To warn future presidents of Republika Srpska against fulfilling their constitutional duties.
- To redefine the future role of Bosnia and Herzegovina, steering it away from the Dayton framework toward an undefined model that lacks both Dayton’s principles and European integration.
“This trial does not resemble legal proceedings as known in modern judicial practice,” Tadić asserted. “The last time something similar occurred was before the adoption of Dušan’s Code.”
Tadić reiterated that Christian Schmidt is not a legitimate High Representative, as he was not confirmed by the UN Security Council.
“Schmidt did not arrive here as a High Representative because he lacks UN Security Council confirmation. For him to leave that position, he would first have to be a High Representative, which he is not,” Tadić emphasized.
He further stated that actions taken in BiH since Schmidt’s arrival deviate from the Dayton Agreement and represent an alternative framework unaccepted or signed by any party.
“Those within Schmidt’s circle have become aware that the amendments to the Criminal Code have significantly harmed the role of the international community. By introducing a new criminal offense into the law, they exposed the High Representative’s position to scrutiny by domestic and international courts. If they had any sense, they would withdraw the indictment against Dodik and Lukić,” Tadić said.
He added that there is significant unease within this circle, particularly from outgoing U.S. Ambassador Michael Murphy, who appears anxious about leaving his post in BiH without ensuring a conviction against Dodik and Lukić.
Regarding the so-called state property law, which Schmidt recently stated would not be imposed but should instead be passed by the Parliamentary Assembly of BiH, Tadić noted that property belongs to the entities, and only they can legislate on property matters.
“According to the Dayton Agreement and Annex 4, which is the Constitution, BiH cannot pass property laws, as this jurisdiction exclusively belongs to Republika Srpska and the Federation of BiH,” Tadić explained.
He also remarked that the Bosniak member of the BiH Presidency, Denis Bećirović, and the Croat member, Željko Komšić, are unlikely to abandon their proposal for a state property law. However, Tadić pointed out that this is not a unified proposal from the Presidency but only from two of its members.
Source: RTRS
