On Sunday, RS will be ethnically clean, thousands of Bosniaks will spend the weekend in the Federation

A referendum is scheduled for Sunday in the BiH entity of Republika Srpska. Citizens in this part of BiH will decide whether they support the celebration of January 9th as the Day of RS, writes Patria.

The Constitutional Court of BiH declared January 9th an unconstitutional holiday and issued a temporary ban on the scheduled referendum. The authorities in Banja Luka do not wish to comply with either of these decisions of the Constitutional Court of BiH. The story about the referendum in RS has heated up the atmosphere in BiH to such an extent that there is increasingly talk of rattling sabers.

The international community has assessed that the referendum could lead Republika Srpska into isolation. Citizens will feel the consequences, regardless of the fact that the referendum results cannot have any legal value.

Bosniaks oppose the referendum. They will not go to vote. And the majority of them plan to spend the weekend in the Federation of BiH to avoid potential unpleasantness. In some establishments in RS, gatherings have already been scheduled for Sunday, where alcohol will be served, making incidents more likely. The BiH entity of Republika Srpska could be completely ethnically clean on Sunday.

It is even speculated that the police might pressure those who do not participate in the referendum.

The imam of the Čaršija Mosque in Prijedor, Omer ef. Redžić, says that discomfort is felt among the Bosniaks of Prijedor as well. Some of them will spend the weekend in nearby Sanski Most.

- For Bosniaks, that Sunday is like any other day. They should not go to the referendum and get involved in any political games. The most important thing is to preserve peace and dignity that day – says ef. Redžić.

The majority of Bosniaks from Srebrenica, Vlasenica, Milići, Zvornik..., explain that they plan to spend Sunday in Tuzla. This way, they say, they are sure they will not get into trouble, writes Patria.