JUDGMENT AGAINST SRPSKA PRESIDENT REJECTED BY DECLARATION AS AN ACT OF POLITICAL PRESSURE

BANJA LUKA, AUGUST 8 /SRNA/ – The Association of Municipalities and Cities of Republika Srpska adopted a Declaration rejecting the judgment against Republika Srpska President Milorad Dodik, as politically motivated, which does not reflect the spirit of law or principles of justice, but rather represents an act of political pressure aiming to influence the democratic will of the people and the legitimacy of Republika Srpska institutions.

"We, the mayors and heads of municipalities, members of the Association of Municipalities and Cities of Republika Srpska, elected by the will of Republika Srpska citizens, as the most direct bearers of democratic sovereignty, respecting the Republika Srpska Constitution, express concern and strongly oppose the politically motivated judgment handed down against Republika Srpska Presiden, Milorad Dodik," the Declaration, adopted at an extraordinary session of the Union, reads. The Head of the Association Ljubiša Ćosić said the Declaration has emphasized that it is unacceptable for decisions regarding the President of Republika Srpska to be made outside of the Republic and its institutions. According to him, any decision-making that leads to the annulment of the will of the people represents a gross violation of democratic principles. "Regardless of the political differences that exist among us, we believe that there can be no political force, local or foreign, that has the right to decide who the president of Republika Srpska is, or who its deputies and representatives are, except the citizens themselves, in accordance with the Constitution and laws of Republika Srpska," said one of the conclusions of the Declaration, which Ćosić read to journalists. The session expressed support for the preservation of the institutional integrity of Republika Srpska and called on all competent institutions to remain committed to the Constitution and laws of Srpska, and to ensure the unhindered performance of duties by the president of the Republic, elected by the will of the people. "In circumstances of political pressure and attempts to delegitimize elected representatives, local communities and their representatives must clearly affirm that they stand by the institutions of Srpska and the will of the people as the sole source of legitimacy and authority," the Declaration states. The conclusions of the Declaration emphasized that Republika Srpska must remain a democratic society in which the will of the people is respected and defended. Ćosić stated that this judgment will not bring institutional peace or stability, nor justice, but that it can and must become a moment where everyone jointly reaffirms that Republika Srpska possesses strength, dignity, and a people who know whom they trust and who represents them. As he explained, the Assembly of the Association adopted the Declaration "as an expression of institutional position and responsibility toward its citizens, toward the institutions of Republika Srpska, and its Constitution and laws," and proposed that all city and municipal assemblies in Republika Srpska adopt it as a conclusion in the form of a Declaration. The Declaration concludes that the Assembly of the Association of Municipalities and Cities, as it has done so far, will base all its future positions and decisions on the principle of Republika Srpska people’s democratic will.