Republic of Srpska Defies Sarajevo

President of the Republic of Srpska, Milorad Dodik.

As reported by Jurist, the president of the Republic of Srpska, Milorad Dodik, has stated that a referendum planned for September 25 will go ahead, despite a court ruling from the Bosnia and Herzegovina Constitutional Court that stated that the referendum was unlawful. The results of the referendum will decide whether Srpska’s national celebration of statehood shall continue to be held on January 9. The court in Bosnia struck down the proposed referendum on the basis that it was discriminatory against non-Serbs residing in the Republic of Srpska, as the date in question is also a Serb Orthodox religious holiday.

The Republic of Srpska together with the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina make up the two entities of t Bosnia and Herzegovina, the former Yugoslavia. The Republic of Srpska, which was born out of the chaos of the breakup of Yugoslavia, is largely dominated by the Serb ethnic group, while the remaining country has a majority Bosniaks.

The union of the two entities has always been uneasy and is characterized by ethnic strife. Today’s dispute over the referendum issue is only a single episode in a history of an emotionally charged conflict. The Republic of Srpska’s celebration of January 9 is particularly controversial among Bosniaks, as the entity was proclaimed on that date by Radovan Karadzic, a convicted war criminal responsible for the deaths of thousands of non-Serbs.

The proposed referendum date, September 25, comes only one week before the scheduled local elections. Dodik’s grandstanding over the referendum issue is potentially a move to raise the profile of his party, the Alliance of Independent Social Democrats, in order to improve their showing at the polls.

Dodik’s insistence on the referendum and his disregard for the court order represent a clear example of a Republic of Srpska politician challenging the central government in Sarajevo. Balkan Transitional Justice suggests that the move could be a stepping stone on the way to declaring a separate referendum on the question of Bosnian-Serb secession from Bosnia and Herzegovina. However, Dodik, in avideo statement, dismissed such talk as mere “speculation,” insisting that his actions are merely an effort to “consult with the people on such a historic decision,” though he did not deny the possibility that succession talks could be on the table in the future.

The European Union, the United States, and regional figures have all attempted to prevent the referendum from going ahead, acknowledging the importance of the unity of the whole nation. Serbian Prime Minister Aleksander Vucic chose not to publicly support the referendum, in an effort to sway the Bosnian Serbs of the Republic of Srpska to accept the ruling from the court in Sarajevo. Dudik shows no signs of backing down.

Bosnia and Herzegovina officially applied to the European Union in February 2016 and have yet to hear back on the decision of the European Council. Tension between ethnic groups will not be looked upon favorably in Brussels. The country’s road towards greater integration with Europe has been marked with a number of delays and this issue has the potential to develop into another cause for interruption.