The Parliament of Republika Srpska (RS) has decided to hold a referendum on the verdict of the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) regarding the president of RS, Milorad Dodik, and the decision of the BiH Central Election Commission to terminate his mandate. This was reported by Bloomberg, informs UNN.
Details
It is noted that this step, which was unanimously approved by the parliament in Banja Luka, was proposed by Milorad Dodik after the country's Supreme Court in the capital Sarajevo stripped him of his mandate as president of RS and banned him from holding political office.
In the referendum, scheduled for October 25, 1.2 million voters in the Bosnian-Serb enclave will be asked whether they support "the decision of the unelected foreigner Christian Schmidt and the verdicts of the unconstitutional court of Bosnia and Herzegovina" against Dodik
The publication indicates that the 66-year-old leader stated that he expects a "decisive 'no'."
"This is the latest stage in the tug-of-war between the central government in Sarajevo and Dodik, which could threaten the integrity of the country of 3.3 million people. Dodik has consistently demanded greater autonomy for Republika Srpska, which he has governed for almost two decades, and has threatened secession (withdrawal from BiH - UNN)," the article says.
Recall
In early August, the Central Election Commission of Bosnia and Herzegovina canceled the mandate of the president of Republika Srpska, Milorad Dodik. This decision is not final, as Dodik's defense has the right to appeal.
Earlier, the Appellate Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina upheld the first-instance verdict, according to which the pro-Russian leader of Bosnian Serbs, Milorad Dodik, was sentenced to one year in prison and received a six-year ban from holding the position of president of Republika Srpska.