Pettigrew: Dodik's threats should be taken seriously, it is important that Schmidt does something

(Patria) - Milorad Dodik's threats should be taken seriously, because the RS was created as a genocidal project. What he is doing is actually testing the boundaries with the aim of secession.

It is important that the High Representative does something, and I think he is hesitating out of fear of provoking a conflict, said American professor David Pettigrew tonight on the show '7PLUS' of Hayat TV.

In addition to Dodik's politics and moves, he also spoke about the rulings of the European Court of Human Rights, the denial of genocide, and events in the Gaza Strip.

- Yes, I think Milorad Dodik's announcement is new, I haven't had the chance to read his proposed law. But I understood that he intends to take away the powers of the Central Election Commission and transfer them to the entity level.

That would be a major change. I have experience with electoral processes, I was an international observer in Srebrenica in 2012, and at that time the Central Election Commission oversaw all elections.

I was at a polling station in Srebrenica with the aim of observing and ensuring the correctness of the process. It is a complicated process, during the day with various people who voted, people came from Serbia, ballots came by mail, there were displaced persons…

I think there are many problems related to local elections and it is very important to have a central commission to oversee the process - said Pettigrew.

He adds that he sees all this as just one of many strategies to undermine stability in BiH, in order to bring the RS closer to secession.

Pettigrew believes that the US will stand by BiH and do everything to prevent Milorad Dodik's proposed secession.

- We can count on the US there. But we have the everyday level, and there are Milorad Dodik's efforts to test boundaries and find ways to separate the RS from the state, by challenging the Constitutional Court, challenging the High Representative, forming his own army, his own election committee, one thing after another…

He also enjoys the support of Russia. It is a really difficult situation - Pettigrew opines.

Regarding the laws of the European Court of Human Rights, Pettigrew says it is important to implement them so that BiH can move towards true democracy, to confirm the voting rights for a candidate of one's choice, which is the result of the ruling in the Sejdić-Finci, Zornić, and Kovačević cases.

- It is very important to confirm the rule of law and move towards democracy. What I would like to say is that recently the High Representative minimized the importance of these rulings and even dismissed them, but I think the opposite should be done.

The legal obligation of the High Representative is to implement these rulings. His function is such that he has the final say.

In cases where a decision cannot be reached, the key role of the High Representative is to implement the rulings.

If he does not do that, it is like rejecting the rule of law, rejecting European principles, in that way rejecting the very idea of Europe - Pettigrew emphasizes.