”Immediately it will be announced”, Dodik threatens peace with Republika Srpska’s independence from Bosnia

The President of Republika Srpska in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Milorad Dodik, has continued his nationalist actions that threaten the Dayton Agreement that ended the genocidal war in Bosnia.

He has threatened the independence of this entity Republika Srpska from Bosnia and Herzegovina if the high international representative in this country, Christian Schmidt, enforces the property law.

“Immediately after that, the National Assembly will convene and the independence status of Republika Srpska will be announced,” Dodik said on September 13 in Banja Luka after a meeting with the representatives of Republika Srpska (RS).

During the press conference, Dodik said that it was agreed to include in the budget for next year a line item that would provide income with salary compensation to employees in the institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina in case the RS representatives leave the institution state .

The meeting in Banja Luka took place two days after the Bosnian court confirmed the indictment of Dodik and the acting director of the Official Gazette of Republika Srpska, Milos Lukic, who are accused of the criminal offense of not implementing the decisions of the Supreme Representative in the state.

The territorial integrity and sovereignty of Bosnia and Herzegovina as a single state with two entities and the Brcko district are guaranteed by the Dayton Peace Agreement. This agreement and the constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina do not allow the entities to secede.

On March 2, the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina temporarily suspended the Law on Immovable Property applied by the authorities in RS, pending a final decision by the Constitutional Court.

The indictment came after the National Assembly of Republika Srpska passed two controversial laws on June 27, which Dodik signed and then published in the Official Gazette of Republika Srpska. These laws state that the decisions of the Office of the High Representative in Bosnia will no longer be published in the Official Gazette and will not be respected in this institution. In addition, the decisions of the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina will no longer be valid in Republika Srpska.

Dodik, the Serb member of the Bosnian Presidency, Zeljka Cvijanovic, the Prime Minister of RS, Radovan Viskovic, the President of the National Assembly of that entity, Nenad Stevandic, and the Minister of Justice of Republika Srpska, Milos Bukejlovic are under U.S. sanctions for undermining the Dayton Agreement.

The U.S. Embassy in Sarajevo also reacted to the nationalistic actions of Dodik, who stated that he would deny High Representative Schimdt entry into the Serbian sub-region of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

“Millorad Dodik’s threat to prevent the High Representative from entering Republika Srpska in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) and to restrict his freedom of movement is unconstitutional. This constitutes another premeditated attack by Mr. Dodik on the Dayton Peace Agreement, the constitutional order of BiH and the state of BiH. Mr. Dodik’s reckless threats and ridiculous claims about the status and authority of the High Representative are unacceptable and represent another step on the dangerous path he has chosen – a path of isolation.”

Dodik’s unilateral actions, aimed at destabilizing not only Bosnia but the region, received the support of Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić and cleric Porfirije. They had gone into Republika Srpska and openly supported Dodik, who was sanctioned by the United States. Dodik’s actions were also condemned by the West with growing concern about the disruption of peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina. /Geopost/