Professor David Pettigrew warns that Dodik’s referendum would mean a rejection of the rule of law and a threat to peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina
An urgent appeal has been sent to members of the Peace Implementation Council (PIC) expressing deep concern over what signatories describe as a grave threat to peace and stability in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The appeal warns that the recent actions and statements of Republika Srpska President Milorad Dodik risk “no less than a repetition of the mass atrocities and genocide of the 1990s.”
The appeal calls on the PIC to take immediate action to halt the referendum planned for October 25 in Republika Srpska, which challenges Dodik’s conviction and removal from office. The referendum question reads: “Do you accept the decisions of the unelected foreigner Christian Schmidt and the rulings of the unconstitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina issued against the President of Republika Srpska, as well as the decision of the Central Election Commission to strip the President of Republika Srpska, Milorad Dodik, of his mandate?”
The letter describes the move as a “brazen rejection of the rule of law” and a dangerous precedent threatening Bosnia and Herzegovina’s constitutional order.
Following Dodik’s conviction – confirmed by a second-instance verdict on August 1, which resulted in a one-year prison sentence (converted to a fine of approximately €18,660) and a six-year ban from office – the Assembly of Republika Srpska adopted a series of laws rejecting the authority of key state judicial institutions, including the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council, the Prosecutor’s Office of BiH, the Court of BiH, and SIPA.
The appeal notes growing concern about foreign influence, citing Dodik’s September 9 meeting in Moscow with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who reiterated President Vladimir Putin’s support for Dodik and Republika Srpska. The document warns that Dodik’s alliance with Moscow could “open another front in the Balkans.”
It also highlights statements from Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, who recently declared that Republika Srpska “will always have Serbia behind them,” as further evidence of potential regional destabilization.
The signatories urge the PIC to act decisively to prevent the October 25 referendum and to support the early elections called by the Central Election Commission for November 23 to elect a new president in Republika Srpska. The appeal concludes by calling for “all necessary action,” including the strategic deployment of EUFOR troops, to prevent further deterioration of the political situation.
