The President of the Republika Srpska Milorad Dodik claims that the Republika Srpska will conduct local elections this year according to its own law, which, according to him, will be adopted no later than April 20.
Dodik stated that the technical changes to the Election Law of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which were recently imposed by the high representative in BiH, Christian Schmidt, “will by no means pass”, as well as, as he said, “what is being done in relation to property”.
He assessed that Schmidt’s moves were “exclusively in the function of subjugating Republika Srpska to the institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina”.
The President of Republika Srpska stated that by imposing changes to the Election Law, Schmidt “unreasonably gave the right” to the Central Election Commission (CEC) of Bosnia and Herzegovina to appoint all presidents of election committees and that they have the status of professional civil servants.
“That will not happen. We will pass our election law and conduct local elections this year in Republika Srpska according to our law. That act will be adopted no later than April 20, it will come into force and our authorities will implement it,” said Dodik.
Dodik said “that the CEC has nothing to ask for, because it legally conducts elections only for the Presidency and the Parliamentary Assembly of BiH”.
He stated that the election law of Republika Srpska will be implemented, although, as he said, some foreign ambassadors do not like it.
“Whether they will accept our elections and results is not important. It is important that our people accept it as legitimate, and our institutions confirm it,” said Dodik, Srna writes.
