Academician Duraković: The Constitutional Court should not annul the decision, even at the cost of Dodik holding the referendum

Academician Esad Duraković said last night on the Central News with Senad Hadžifejzović that the referendum in the Republika Srpska on January 9 is actually a game involving Čović, Dodik and Izetbegović, Patria reports.

- I will not exaggerate if I say that this is a dramatic conflict between politics and law. Or, if you will, it is a reckless – I use strong words, but I believe they are appropriate – assault on the highest legal institution in the country. In my deep conviction, this is not about any new legal arguments that would require the Constitutional Court to reconsider its earlier decision, but about political pressure so great that it is practically blackmail – said Professor Duraković.

He believes it is better for the Constitutional Court of BiH not to annul the decision declaring the observance of January 9 in the RS unconstitutional, even at the cost of Dodik holding the referendum, than for the Constitutional Court to succumb to pressure and annul the decision it previously made.

The Constitutional Court of BiH issued a decision at the end of last year stating that January 9, which is celebrated in the RS as the day of this BiH entity, is not in accordance with the Constitution of BiH, and that the authorities from Banja Luka should choose another date to celebrate as the Day of RS. The authorities from the RS do not want to accept the Court's decision, and they have scheduled a referendum for September 25, in which citizens of the RS will declare whether they support the continued observance of January 9 in this part of the country.

The referendum has been condemned by the international community, the USA, and other world powers. They have called on the President of RS, Milorad Dodik, to abandon the referendum. Dodik has stated that the referendum in the RS will not be held if the Constitutional Court reconsiders the decision that declared the Day of RS unconstitutional. However, experts assess that this would also mean undermining the credibility of the Constitutional Court of BiH.

Watch the full interview with Academician Duraković