Former President of the National Assembly of Republika Srpska Dragan Kalinić has emphasized that Republika Srpska was not granted to the Serb people as a gift, but was established and defended at the cost of thousands of lives. He warned that more than three decades after the war, Serbs must remain vigilant, united and committed to preserving Republika Srpska.
In an opinion article for the Republika Srpska News Agency (SRNA), Kalinić reflected on the historic decisions of November and December 1991, which he described as crucial to the establishment of Republika Srpska.
He stressed that the turbulent history of the Serb people serves as a reminder of the importance of political unity, responsible leadership and a clear vision for the future.
Kalinić recalls the 1991 plebiscite of Serbs in BiH
Kalinić recalled that nearly 1.4 million citizens participated in the plebiscite held on November 9 and 10, 1991, with 98 percent voting in favor of remaining in Yugoslavia, even if it continued in a reduced form.
He explained that the decision followed the establishment of the Assembly of the Serb People in BiH on October 24, 1991.
The Assembly adopted a decision to organize the plebiscite based on what its representatives considered the constitutional right to self-determination.
Before the vote, Serb representatives had also adopted a decision supporting the continued existence of a common Yugoslav state with Serbia, Montenegro and other peoples willing to remain within it.
According to Kalinić, these decisions were intended to provide lasting protection for the political and national interests of Serbs in BiH.
He argued that those interests were increasingly threatened by the political developments that accompanied the breakup of Yugoslavia.
The first Constitution of Republika Srpska and relations with Serbia
Kalinić noted that the results of the November 1991 plebiscite were incorporated into the first Constitution of Republika Srpska in February 1992.
The Constitution stipulated that the Republic was part of the federal state of Yugoslavia and that its citizens possessed both republican and Yugoslav citizenship.
He drew a connection between these early constitutional provisions and the special parallel relations with Serbia subsequently recognized under the Dayton Peace Agreement.
“I would venture to say that, following the spirit of this constitutional provision, which was not implemented at the time, the international agreement reached in Dayton ensured that Republika Srpska could maintain special parallel relations with Serbia, including the possibility of dual citizenship,” Kalinić stated.
He also pointed out that Croats had exercised similar citizenship rights from the beginning, criticizing what he described as inconsistent attitudes among European political representatives.
Political developments in 1991 shaped the creation of Republika Srpska
Kalinić described November and December 1991 as a decisive period in the accelerated political and institutional disintegration of Yugoslavia.
He recalled that the Assembly of the Serb People in BiH had warned that Serbs risked losing their status as a constituent people.
According to Kalinić, similar concerns had emerged in Croatia following constitutional changes under President Franjo Tuđman.
He argued that Serb political leaders at the time feared a repetition of historical persecution and sought to establish institutions capable of protecting their population.
During November and December 1991, Serb autonomous regions were established, later becoming part of the institutional foundations of Republika Srpska.
At the same time, Croat political representatives established the Croatian Community of Herzeg-Bosnia.
Kalinić also recalled that the European Community, following guidelines associated with the Badinter Commission, invited former Yugoslav republics to apply for international recognition.
He criticized the decision of the then-Presidency of BiH to pursue recognition despite opposition from its Serb members, Biljana Plavšić and Nikola Koljević.
Against this background, the Assembly of the Serb People prepared for the proclamation of Republika Srpska in January 1992.
Kalinić: Serb leadership faced historic decisions before the war
Kalinić argued that the political leadership of Republika Srpska faced exceptionally difficult circumstances during the final months of 1991 and the beginning of 1992.
He credited the leadership and members of the first Assembly with adopting political and legal decisions that laid the groundwork for the establishment of Republika Srpska’s institutions.
According to Kalinić, these developments led to the adoption of the first Constitution, the election of the first Government and the establishment of key political and administrative bodies.
He described these decisions as essential preparations for the armed conflict that followed in 1992, which he characterized as a war imposed on the Serb people from outside.
Dayton Peace Agreement and the sacrifices of the Serb people
Reflecting on the 1995 Dayton Peace Agreement, Kalinić emphasized that Republika Srpska entered the peace negotiations having preserved its institutions and territory through the war.
He argued that the Serb side accepted difficult compromises, including territorial concessions, in the interest of achieving peace and long-term stability.
“We entered the Dayton negotiations with Republika Srpska defended, and we reluctantly agreed to surrender part of the sovereignty and territory that we had established before the war and defended during it, for the sake of peace and a stable future,” Kalinić wrote.
He stressed that younger generations should understand the historical circumstances surrounding the establishment and preservation of Republika Srpska.
“Our younger generations should know that nothing was given to us as a gift in Dayton,” he stated.
“On the contrary, everything was paid for dearly with the lives of thousands of our finest sons and daughters and the loss of our historic homes.”
Kalinić calls for unity and vigilance in the years ahead
Kalinić concluded his article by warning that the political challenges facing Republika Srpska remain serious more than three decades after the war.
He called on the Serb people to remain united around their political leadership while maintaining a realistic understanding of their goals and capabilities.
“This turbulent history, more than 30 years after the war, reminds us that if we do not remain vigilant, united and gathered around our leadership today, with a clear vision of what we want and what we can realistically achieve in the coming years, which will be no less difficult, we could lose everything,” Kalinić warned.
He urged younger generations to reflect carefully on the experiences and lessons of the past three decades.
“Let us think carefully about everything, about all the messages and lessons of the past 30 years and more, so that we do not end up regretting our decisions when it is too late,” Kalinić concluded.
Source: RTRS
