RS Authorities to Decide on Local Election Participation Today

(Patria) - The ruling coalition in the smaller BiH entity is expected to make a decision today on how it will participate in the local elections in BiH.

The opposition did not respond to yesterday's meeting in Banja Luka, called by the ruling parties, which particularly upset the president of the National Assembly of Republika Srpska (NSRS) Nenad Stevandić and the leader of Republika Srpska (RS) and SNSD Milorad Dodik.

- We believe that the colleagues who did not respond have been working with Christian Schmidt and certain ambassadors from the beginning - Stevandić assessed in a statement to the media after the meeting, adding that the idea was to postpone the elections until the RS Election Law comes into effect.

Dodik said that there is a concept to impose the election will and that this would put RS in a position where it cannot conduct elections according to the will of the people.

- I advocate for not going to the elections under the condition of consensus of all political factors - said Dodik, adding that the leaders of the opposition parties want to curry favor with others and that this is a cowardly act.

He stated that the opposition leaders should have come to the meeting and told everyone what they thought to their faces, and wondered how they would have the strength and courage when they come to power.

- Election processes cannot take place without the general consensus of the forces participating in the elections - Dodik asserted, adding that this is clearly not possible here.

The opposition in RS boycotted yesterday's meeting, stating that it serves as an alibi for the ruling parties to participate in the elections according to the elections called by the Central Election Commission of BiH (CIK BiH) and according to the BiH Election Law, the amendments to which were imposed by High Representative Christian Schmidt.