ARCHIVE – The Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik. Photo: Darko Vojinovic/AP/dpa/Archive photo
Keystone
In Bosnia-Herzegovina, the Serbian separatist leader Milorad Dodik is officially no longer the president of the Serbian part of the country, Republika Srpska (RS). He has exhausted all legal means against his court-ordered removal from office. The electoral commission can now call a new presidential election. Dodik intends to defend himself against this with two referendums.
The Bosnian Court of Appeal dismissed Dodik’s appeal against a decision by the Central Election Commission, which had decided to remove him from office. Prior to this, the same court of appeal had sentenced Dodik to one year in prison and the loss of his office for separatist activities – thus confirming a corresponding first-instance ruling by a court in February. Dodik was able to avoid the prison sentence by paying a fine.
He was sentenced because he refused to implement the decisions of the High Representative of the International Community in Bosnia-Herzegovina. The High Representative – currently the German Christian Schmidt (CSU) – has powers in the country on the basis of the Dayton Peace Agreement, which put an end to the Bosnian war in 1995
Dodik sticks to his claim to power
Dodik announced that there would be no early elections in the RS. He is planning a referendum for the end of September in which the citizens of the RS should decide whether they accept that the High Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina makes decisions and whether they recognize the verdict by which he was dismissed. In a second referendum to be held within 90 days, the citizens of the RS are to decide for or against the secession of their part of the country from the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Dodik added.
Since the Dayton Peace Agreement, Bosnia-Herzegovina has consisted of the Bosnian-Croat Federation (FBiH) and Republika Srpska (RS). The High Representative can dismiss elected officials, pass laws and create new authorities. Schmidt has held this office since August 2021.