The decision of the Appellate Division of the unconstitutional Court of BiH to reject the appeal of President Milorad Dodik’s legal team is a blow to Republika Srpska and a step toward the unitarization of BiH, said Drago Vuković, full professor at the University of East Sarajevo, in RTRS Morning Program.
Vuković emphasized that in his view this decision was expected and is completely contrary to the standards of institutional work.
“Unfortunately, this is not surprising. Everything that is happening in BiH, especially the treatment of Republika Srpska, I see as an act of the so-called high representative aimed at destabilizing BiH, particularly Republika Srpska. It is a well-devised project, implemented through institutions – courts, the election commission, the appellate court – to pursue attempts and activities whose goal is to change the Dayton Agreement and unitarize BiH,” Vuković stressed.
He added that this process would not be possible without the support of political actors from Bosniak politics, who use the current situation as an opportunity to achieve their goal – the degradation of the Dayton Agreement and the creation of a unitary BiH, which would mean BiH without Republika Srpska.
“We are in a serious situation. We cannot control the processes that are unfolding. I am not sure that all political actors fully understand this, but I hope we will manage to defend ourselves – in terms of preserving the fundamental principles of Dayton,” Vuković said.
Regarding the announcement of a referendum, Professor Vuković pointed out that the president of Republika Srpska’s address yesterday was dramatic and cautionary.
“He clearly stated what awaits us, and we have no other choice. We must defend the existence and survival of Republika Srpska and the principles of Dayton – or we will cease to exist. I fear something may happen that no one in Srpska would want, that one morning we wake up in a different BiH. I understood his address as something from which there is no turning back,” Vuković explained.
He stressed that Republika Srpska must be defended and that no rational person should ever agree to its disappearance.
“According to some basic democratic principles, a referendum is the highest form of expressing the will of the people. Only the democratic will of the citizens, expressed through elections and referendum, can show the strength of the Serb people – whether they want BiH, and what kind of BiH they want, or what kind of Srpska they want. That will of the people is so important, with such moral and political strength, that it is difficult and impermissible to use any other instrument against it,” Vuković emphasized.
He underlined that through their stance toward the referendum and elections, citizens become direct participants in crucial events.
Commenting on the resignation of Prime Minister Radovan Višković, Vuković said that the change of government in a democracy is a normal occurrence.
“When a prime minister resigns, it is a democratic act. However, what happened yesterday is different. He resigned at a very difficult moment. I see this resignation as Republika Srpska and its institutions’ attempt to resist the ill intentions of destabilizing factors. It is an attempt to show unity, and I believe Republika Srpska is capable of carrying out a government reshuffle. We will see how far this process goes – with a new mandate and new ministers,” Vuković said.
He added that a government reshuffle is positive for democracy, stressing that the most important thing, despite all attacks on institutions, is for political actors to demonstrate the capacity to choose a new government.
“We are sending a message to all actors that national unity is important to us, and that the opposition and the NGO sector should also be included. We must strive to reach a common position and come out of this with as few scars as possible,” Vuković noted.
On Višković’s mandate, he said the prime minister worked in a difficult environment but managed to preserve system stability – fiscal and social.
“There were no dramatic events or government crises. The government never lost parliamentary support. That stability, in these difficult conditions, was the most important thing. Of course, every government can work better, but I believe it was already planned that a reshuffle would take place at mid-mandate, so the resignation was expected. He did not step down because of problems, but primarily as an attempt to send a message that we want renewal and to find people with the necessary abilities,” Vuković pointed out.
He added that he does not know who the new prime minister-designate could be, but stressed it is important to find a person with positive synergy who can, through their authority, positively influence political actors to overcome problems and conflicts.
“What matters most here is Republika Srpska. Those who personalize problems are running away from the real picture of the situation we are in. We must recognize the essence of the problem. Srpska is under a serious attack, and that threat is not insignificant,” Vuković concluded.
Source: RTRS
