Dodik accuses US Ambassador of causing instability in BiH

Republika Srpska President Milorad Dodik accused US Ambassador to BiH Maureen Cormack in Srebrenica today of "creating instability in BiH with her statements and working exclusively in the function of Bosniak politics".

The Official Gazette of Republika Srpska has officially published the Decision of the National Assembly of RS on calling a referendum where citizens in this BiH entity will decide whether they support January 9th being marked as the Day of RS.

The Constitutional Court of BiH made a decision at the end of last year stating that January 9th cannot be marked as the Day of RS because it is unconstitutional, and that the authorities in Republika Srpska must set another date to be marked as the Day of this BiH entity. Politicians from Banja Luka did not like such a decision, so they announced a referendum for September 25th this year, where citizens in RS will decide what they think about marking this date.

The question on which citizens should vote will read: "Do you support January 9th being marked and celebrated as the Day of the Republic"?

After the referendum announcement, the US Ambassador to BiH Maureen Elizabeth Cormack also made a statement. She said that regarding the scheduled referendum, the position is that 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.
The Ambassador stated via video message that in her capacity as US Ambassador to BiH, she is making it very clear that statements from the Embassy do not reflect her personal views, nor the views of her employees, but represent the policy of the US Government.

- Respecting the principle of legality by everyone in BiH is of crucial importance for the democratic process, as well as for the very important task of creating new jobs and developing the economy, so that the citizens of this country can live better. Without a functional legal framework and the stability it provides, it is impossible to solve the economic and political challenges facing the country. Holidays and their marking are an important part of every culture. Instead of continuing with the unconstitutional referendum, leaders should work on resolving misunderstandings in the interest of all citizens. Precious resources will be spent on the referendum, and there will be no progress on this issue - Cormack stated in her message.

Among other things, the Ambassador added that it is not in the interest of the citizens of RS for their leaders to continue activities around 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.

When asked by journalists to comment on Ambassador Cormack's messages, Milorad Dodik said that he thinks such messages were actually drafted by Bosniaks from Sarajevo working at the US Embassy, and that Cormack could not avoid supporting them, and that her message is not the stance of the US Government, writes Patria.