Brčko citizens are not allowed to participate in the referendum

Regarding the decision of the Brčko Supervisor, Bruce G. Berton, to deny consent for the announced referendum on the Day of Republika Srpska in the Brčko District of BiH, there have been speculations in the public about the alleged possibility for citizens of Brčko District of BiH who are citizens of Republika Srpska to vote in the announced referendum by casting their ballots at polling stations outside the Brčko District of BiH.

- In this regard, we remind the public, and especially all political entities, that the Supervisor's Order of 02.02.2007 strictly prohibits any referendum with legal effect in the Brčko District of BiH for which the supervisor's prior consent has not been obtained.

Bearing in mind that any voting by citizens of Brčko District of BiH in a referendum, even at polling stations outside the Brčko District of BiH, would produce legal effects as if the referendum were held in Brčko District of BiH, it is clear that the proposals for citizens of the District to vote in the referendum at polling stations outside the District are completely unacceptable.

However, we also recall that paragraph 3, point 1 of the Supervisor's Order, which repealed entity laws in the Brčko District and declared the cessation of the legal significance of the inter-entity boundary in the District as of 04.08.2006, stipulates that no action by any of the entities or any institution that is an integral part thereof, taken on or after the date of this order, shall have any legal effect in the District or any part thereof.

Allowing citizens of the District who are citizens of Republika Srpska to vote in a referendum organized by the institutions of the Republika Srpska entity would constitute a flagrant violation of the aforementioned provisions of the Supervisor's Order of August 4, 2006 - stated the SDA Brčko Committee.