“I was elected by the people, I will not be dismissed by a foreign government! I do not recognize the decisions of unconstitutional judicial institutions, I remain president of Republika Srpska!” — this was the comment of President Milorad Dodik on the ruling of the Court in Sarajevo.
He also announced that a referendum will be held at which citizens will reject the undemocratic decisions.
The referendum is expected to be held at the end of September, after which the National Assembly would legalize the will of the people. If Bosnia and Herzegovina does not return to Dayton principles, President Dodik said, a referendum on self-determination of Republika Srpska will follow. He emphasized that, under the UN Charter, Serbs in Bosnia and Herzegovina have that right.
“The illegitimate Christian Schmidt has dismantled the state union of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and for us it no longer exists at this moment,” was the message of President Dodik.
He stressed that the Dayton framework no longer exists either, as it was also destroyed by foreigners. For that reason, Srpska will preserve its sovereignty and integrity by all political and legal means. The will for this, he said, will be expressed through the referendum.
“The National Assembly, the new government, a declaration of self-determination, the referendum to be held at the end of September with the question and answer as to whether we, as a people, are ready to allow some foreigner and Muslims, the other side, to destroy Republika Srpska by dismantling the Dayton Agreement. The people will give the best answer,” Dodik said.
The president of Republika Srpska considers that Serbs in Bosnia and Herzegovina are under occupation, primarily by the Bosniak political corps and part of the international community. Between slavery and freedom, he said, the Serb people will always choose freedom. He reminded that, according to the UN Charter, constituent peoples have the right to self-determination.
“Immediately after the end of September, we will translate this into a Law of the National Assembly, which will demand a return to the constitutional position of Republika Srpska. If that does not happen, if within a reasonable time it is not implemented or no visible steps are taken, Republika Srpska will, within no later than 90 days after that, hold its referendum on independence,” the president of Srpska declared.
Dodik believes that Christian Schmidt, the OHR, and the so-called Peace Implementation Council must be rejected. He stressed that the gravest violations of democratic principles are taking place, and that this is an attempt at the final collapse of Republika Srpska.
“If we lose now, we have lost forever. Do not allow cynical Muslims to take away our freedom. I call on all people to rally behind the National Assembly and its decisions. There will be no elections for the president of Republika Srpska in any way, and any attempt will be blocked. We do not expect and we will resist any external intervention,” Dodik emphasized.
“By preserving the Constitution, we will preserve Republika Srpska, which is the symbol and sign of the freedom of the Serb people,” Dodik said, calling on everyone to unite around this goal.
However, unity regarding the referendum that would reject the undemocratic removal of the president’s mandate is not present. The opposition, as SNSD warns, even goes so far as to belittle the most important institution of direct democracy, which the referendum represents. Those who oppose the referendum oppose the will of the people, says Radovan Kovačević.
“In this political situation, the answer must be unity. That is why we called for the formation of a government of national unity. The opposition said that is out of the question and that we must remain divided. If we are to be divided, then now we will clearly be divided between those who stand for the will of the people and listening to the people, and those who stand for Schmidt and listening to Schmidt,” Kovačević declared.
That it is necessary to go to a referendum and give a united answer to all the attacks that Srpska is exposed to is also the view of the legal community.
Doctor of law Ljubinko Mitrović said he expects complete unity on this issue.
“I expect unity from Republika Srpska as a whole—not only state institutions, but also the academic community, culture, all of society, and the local self-governments. A united stance, naturally expressed through the referendum,” Mitrović said.
The chairman of the House of Peoples of the Parliamentary Assembly of BiH, Nikola Špirić, said that Republika Srpska has a democratic response to brutal political court rulings, because a referendum is the highest form of democracy.
“The constant and brutal imposition of decisions is becoming the model of political life in Bosnia and Herzegovina, always directed against Republika Srpska and its people,” Špirić warned.
Source: RTRS
