The Minister of Scientific and Technological Development and Higher Education of Republika Srpska, Željko Budimir, stated that the political crisis in Bosnia and Herzegovina was triggered by Christian Schmidt and that this marks the beginning of political persecution and ethnic cleansing of Serbs through the judicial institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Budimir emphasized that the political crisis in Bosnia and Herzegovina did not begin with the first-instance verdict against Republika Srpska President Milorad Dodik, but rather when a man falsely presenting himself as the High Representative amended the Criminal Code of Bosnia and Herzegovina, effectively reintroducing political offenses into legislation.
“This was then accepted by unconstitutional bodies such as the Court and Prosecutor’s Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina. However, the even greater tragedy is that, 30 years after the signing of the Dayton Agreement, Bosnia and Herzegovina still operates under a type of protectorate, and people have become completely accustomed to it. This was evident in the actions of prosecutors and judges within the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina,” Budimir stated.
He underscored that this marked the beginning of political persecution against Republika Srpska’s institutions.
“If a political offense such as ‘attempting to overthrow the constitutional order’ is verbalized, and if it states that any other unlawful act falls under this, does that mean I could be convicted for singing ‘O Vojvoda Sinđelić’ or for carrying a Serb flag? Will it be problematic if someone comments that a certain issue does not fall under the jurisdiction of Bosnia and Herzegovina?” Budimir questioned.
Budimir stressed that this situation has forced Republika Srpska’s institutions to respond to the crisis and protect the constitutional order of both Srpska and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
“We are in a situation that was not caused by the leadership of Republika Srpska,” Budimir stated.
He described the ongoing events as a classic case of political persecution against the President of Srpska.
“According to the Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina, laws can only be passed by the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina. You cannot change the law simply because someone decided to impose it, nor can a trial in the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina begin based on the decision of the High Representative,” Budimir said.
He explained that President Dodik is being prosecuted simply for respecting the Constitution of Republika Srpska, which is fully aligned with the Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Public debate on the new constitution to follow, no forced solutions
Republika Srpska has no intention of discriminating against Bosniaks living within its territory, and the recently adopted Draft Constitution will undergo a public debate, ensuring that no solutions will be imposed by force, Minister Željko Budimir stated.
He emphasized that, unlike Bosniaks in Srpska, Serbs in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina face systemic discrimination, describing their situation as shameful.
“Bosniaks in Republika Srpska hold nearly all positions allocated according to the national quota, unlike Serbs in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina,” Budimir said.
He stressed that Srpska has always adhered to international legal principles and UN conventions on human rights and individual freedoms, and that these legal norms will be embedded in the new constitution.
“The constitution will be subject to public debate, and no solutions will be imposed,” Budimir assured.
He pointed out that the Serb people in Bosnia and Herzegovina are under constant pressure from efforts to impose unitarization and centralization, which, according to him, is the political ideology of every Bosniak political representative.
“They use the High Representative when it suits them, as well as the judicial institutions and the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which generates crises through its rulings,” Budimir said in an interview with ATV.
He stressed that Bosnia and Herzegovina must move away from its status as a “monitored democracy.”
Recalling that Republika Srpska President and SNSD leader Milorad Dodik received more than 300,000 votes from his people, Budimir emphasized that no one operating outside Bosnia and Herzegovina’s institutions and its Constitution has the right to remove him from office.
Source: RTRS
