Croatian Party Calls on Čović to Condemn Dodik's Threats of a NATO Referendum

The president of the Croatian Party, Božo Skopljaković, condemned the announcements by RS President Milorad Dodik about organizing a referendum in RS regarding Bosnia and Herzegovina's membership in the NATO alliance.

- This is a very serious threat to peace in BiH and would be a gross violation of the Dayton Agreement, which does not grant any entity the authority to organize a referendum on a crucial state issue such as BiH's membership in the NATO alliance. I do not dispute the right of Serbs to express their opinion on BiH's membership in the NATO alliance, but this is only possible at the state level, together with the other two constituent peoples and all other citizens. An expression of opinion in only one entity with a pre-arranged outcome is unacceptable to Croats in BiH and is particularly dangerous to the interests of Croats in RS - it is stated.

The Croatian Party calls on the Croatian member of the Presidency of BiH, Dragan Čović, to condemn and reject the threats of his political partner, Milorad Dodik, regarding the organization of a referendum in RS on BiH's membership in the NATO alliance.

Furthermore, the Croatian Party considers the claims of the Bosniak member of the Presidency of BiH, Bakir Izetbegović, that the international community has abandoned BiH since the failure of the infamous "April package" and that, as Izetbegović stated, it is up to us to take matters into our own hands, to be inappropriate and incorrect.

- This is simply not true, as the international community continues to selflessly sacrifice itself, both politically and materially, for all peoples and citizens in BiH, which it proves daily and concretely.

It is a completely different matter that this same international community does not have sincere and capable interlocutors in BiH and that the authorities, which have included the SDA for years, are simply competing in blocking all progressive processes in BiH. It is not the role of the international community to beg domestic leaders and pull them by the sleeve to implement reforms, nor will it "beat" anyone. It is time for voters to finally brutally punish these incompetent leaders in elections, - it is stated in the statement by Božo Skopljaković, president of the Croatian Party of BiH - it is further stated.