FOLLOWING TRUMP'S EXAMPLE Dodik announced a rigorous law on NGOs, and has a message for Schmidt

(Patria) - The President of Republika Srpska, Milorad Dodik, stated that the decision of US President Donald Trump to suspend aid to non-governmental organizations is "a signal to Republika Srpska to pass its own law on these organizations", which, as he said, "have been slandering Serbs and RS for years using foreign funds".

Dodik announced that non-governmental organizations "will no longer be able to do that because a rigorous law will be passed".

“There is all sorts of scum here that uses foreign funds and does everything to slander the Serbian people and Republika Srpska… We will not take revenge, but we will just say one thing – you will not be able to do that anymore,” Dodik stated.

He announced that a law on non-governmental organizations will be passed at the first session of the National Assembly of Republika Srpska.

“It will be more rigorous than the one we offered when we wanted to make some compromise, and since you didn't want a compromise but thought you could manage, now you will get a rigorous law,” Dodik added.

He emphasized that this will be done even at the cost of the European path.

“We don't care about the EU's opinion on this. If this means the end of the European path, fine. You will not tell us what to do here,” Dodik said.

We remind you that in a previous attempt to pass a law on the non-governmental sector, the law stipulated, among other things, special scrutiny for non-governmental organizations financed from abroad, a ban on political activities, the need for additional registration, and the submission of financial reports. The Minister of Justice of Republika Srpska would have the authority to ban certain organizations from operating.

Non-governmental organizations, numerous citizens' associations, and international organizations declared this law as another in a series of repressive laws in Republika Srpska aimed at controlling and restricting the free operation of civil society organizations. In the end, this law was abandoned.

Also, Dodik stated today that if Christian Schmidt decides to change the BiH Constitution in the part that talks about the number of Serb delegates who constitute a quorum in the House of Peoples of the Parliamentary Assembly of BiH, RS will receive an answer that day which many in the world will understand.

“I see that some in Republika Srpska wish for the Constitution to be changed in the part that says the quorum is not three delegates of the House of Peoples, but two, and that Schmidt should do it. If he does that, he will receive our answer that day which many in the world will understand,” Dodik told reporters in Drakulić near Banja Luka.