Cormack on behalf of the US Government: It is not in the interest of RS citizens for leaders to continue activities regarding the referendum

The Official Gazette of the Republika Srpska has officially published the Decision of the National Assembly of the RS on calling a republic referendum on January 9 as the Day of RS.

Serbian politicians believe that the RS has the right to a referendum, which was scheduled for September 25 by the assembly's decision, and the question on which citizens would declare themselves is: “Do you support that January 9 be marked and celebrated as the Day of the Republic?”.

The Ambassador of the United States of America to BiH, Maureen Elizabeth Cormack, spoke out via video, stating that “in her capacity as the US Ambassador to BiH, she very clearly says that statements from the Embassy do not reflect my personal views, nor the views of my employees, but represent the policy of the US Government”.

- Regarding the scheduled referendum, our position is: „As the OHR has made clear, holding the referendum scheduled for September 25, which poses a question already answered by the Constitutional Court of BiH, would be contrary to the Constitution of BiH“. The Constitutional Court of BiH is an integral part of Annex 4 of the Dayton Peace Agreement, and the decisions of this court are final and binding, and must be respected.

Respect for the rule of law by all in BiH is crucial for the democratic process, as well as for the very important task of creating new jobs and developing the economy, so that citizens of this country can live better. Without a functional legal framework and the stability it provides, it is impossible to address the economic and political challenges the country faces. Holidays and their celebration are an important part of every culture. Instead of continuing with an unconstitutional referendum, leaders should work on resolving misunderstandings in the interest of all citizens. Valuable resources will be spent on the referendum, and there will be no progress on this issue.

Continuing talks on a comprehensive state law on holidays, acceptable within the current legal framework, costs nothing, and, with good will, such talks can yield concrete results.

It is not in the interest of RS citizens for their leaders to continue activities regarding this referendum, nor others aimed at violating the Dayton Peace Agreement or the constitutional order, and which therefore pose a threat to security, stability, and prosperity in BiH – Cormack emphasized.