Milorad Dodik did not commit any attack on the constitutional order—this was done by Christian Schmidt, along with his accomplices, namely the Court and Prosecutor’s Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which have chosen to obey a foreign citizen with no mandate in Bosnia and Herzegovina instead of respecting the Constitution of BiH, stated Radovan Kovačević, delegate in the Serb Caucus of the House of Peoples in the Parliamentary Assembly of BiH.
Speaking to Nova TV from Croatia, Kovačević emphasized that this represents an attack on the constitutional order and the beginning of a crisis in BiH, adding that the only way to resolve this crisis is to revoke these disgraceful decisions, which violate the Constitution and constitutional order of BiH.
“It is crucial to explain to your audience in Croatia what has happened here. No court has tried and convicted Milorad Dodik based on a law that was democratically adopted in Bosnia and Herzegovina through its institutions. Milorad Dodik has not committed any criminal offense, such as abuse of office or embezzlement of public funds. Instead, he was prosecuted based on a decision made by a foreigner who has no legitimacy in BiH, yet calls himself the High Representative despite not meeting the conditions prescribed by the Dayton Agreement. The Constitution of BiH clearly states that only the Parliamentary Assembly of BiH has the authority to pass or amend laws. This Christian Schmidt, a German citizen, one day simply amended the BiH Criminal Code and wrote that ‘anyone who does not respect the decisions of Christian Schmidt will be prosecuted and may be imprisoned,'” Kovačević pointed out.
He explained that Milorad Dodik chose not to obey the decisions of a foreigner but rather those of the National Assembly of Republika Srpska and its Constitution.
“They are prosecuting a man and saying that he is being tried because he respected the Constitution—my God, where else does that happen? This is the foundation of the political persecution against Milorad Dodik, an attack on the constitutional order of BiH and the constitutional order of Republika Srpska,” Kovačević explained.
Dodik will continue working as president despite arrest warrant
When asked whether the arrest warrant against the President of Srpska would disrupt his plans for official trips outside Republika Srpska, Kovačević responded that the President of Republika Srpska was elected in free and democratic elections by the citizens of Srpska, enjoys significant public trust, and continues to have the highest public support in Srpska, even higher than that of Zoran Milanović in Croatia.
“Milorad Dodik will continue performing his duties as President as usual. The only ones who can change that are the citizens of Republika Srpska in the next elections, and we believe that will not happen because, as I have said, President Dodik enjoys strong support from the people. They are the only ones with the right to remove him or not re-elect him. What we will always respect is the court and the verdict of the people, not the verdicts of foreigners, colonial administrators, and participants in this coup operating outside the Constitution of BiH,” said Kovačević, who is also the spokesperson for SNSD.
The goal of the Draft Constitution of Republika Srpska is to return to the original Dayton framework
Speaking about the main objective of the Draft Constitution of Republika Srpska, which was adopted by the National Assembly of Republika Srpska, Kovačević explained that when a constitutional draft is adopted, the ultimate goal is to adopt a new Constitution.
“This is a normal constitutional and parliamentary procedure, fully in line with the Constitution of BiH and the Dayton Agreement. The process we have initiated in Republika Srpska is a process of returning to the Constitution. In BiH, we have one situation written in the Constitution, but a completely different reality on the ground,” Kovačević stated.
He emphasized the need to explain to the Croatian public that BiH has no jurisdiction over the judiciary or security sector.
“The Constitution of BiH has not been changed—we are simply demanding that the Constitution of BiH be applied as it was signed, because Republika Srpska is one of the signatories of the BiH Constitution, which is Annex IV of the Dayton Peace Agreement,” Kovačević explained.
Reactions to Croatian officials’ statements
Referring to the statement by Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković, who called for de-escalation of tensions in BiH, as well as the claim by Croatia’s Minister of Defense that “Bosniaks are fleeing their homes in Republika Srpska,” Kovačević stated that Prime Minister Plenković is a partner of Republika Srpska with whom Srpska’s officials have had constructive cooperation.
“However, the statement by Minister Ivan Anušić is false, unserious, and irresponsible. Absolutely no one is leaving their homes in Republika Srpska. You yourself are here in Banja Luka, the capital of Republika Srpska—I highly doubt that you have noticed any security threats here or anywhere else in Republika Srpska,” Kovačević asserted.
He reminded that President Dodik has made it clear: anyone who even considers harming a Croat or a Bosniak in Republika Srpska should know that they will have no support from Srpska’s institutions and will be severely punished.
Source: RTRS
