It is certain that only the Prime Minister of Serbia Aleksandar Vučić can talk the President of Republika Srpska Milorad Dodik into giving up on the referendum on the Day of RS scheduled for September 25. More and more speculations say that this might happen, especially after the visit by the Vice President of the USA Joseph Biden to Belgrade.
Given the influence Aleksandar Vučić exerts on Milorad Dodik and the fact that Serbia, together with Croatia, is a guarantee of the Dayton Peace Agreement which would be directly violated by the announced referendum, it is realistic to expect a reaction from the Prime Minister of Serbia.
Although details of the conversation Vučić and Biden had are unknown, it is assumed that they briefly commented on the situation in the region, including the announced referendum.
Even the High Representative to BiH Valentin Inzko stated two days ago that it is necessary to wait for the reactions after the visit by the US Vice President to Belgrade, implying that this visit might significantly influence the referendum in the RS and the action by the OHR.
Vučić and Dodik will today attend the marking of the killing of Serbs, Jews and Romani people in Donja Gradina near Bosanska Dubica today. They might discuss the announced referendum in the RS off the record.
Serbian newspaper Danas reported that Vučić will talk Dodik into giving up on the referendum, citing sources close to the Serbian government.
Delegate in the House of Representatives of the Parliament of BiH Sadik Ahmetović thinks that only Vučić can prevent the referendum.
“Given that Serbia is a guarantee of the Dayton Peace Agreement and that here we have anti-constitutional activity of the Republika Srpska, we expect the Prime Minister of Serbia to react, considering his ‘role’ of peacemaker in the Balkans. I expect him to take the side of the Dayton Agreement and to use the influence he exerts on Dodik to prevent the referendum,” Ahmetović said.
Ahmetović added that unless the RS cancels the scheduled referendum the procedure for separation of Srebrenica from the RS will be launched, and the meeting of pro-Bosnian parties that support this idea might be held next week.
It remains to be seen whether there will be any changes and if the referendum will be cancelled, and also expected is the reaction of OHR, probably prior to the beginning of the election campaign in September.
(Source: klix.ba)
