REPUBLIKA SRPSKA CAN LEGALLY CALL A REFERENDUM

BANJA LUKA, AUGUST 19 /SRNA/ – The head of the SNSD Caucus in the National Assembly of Republika Srpska Srđan Mazalica told SRNA that Srpska can, completely legally and guided by the reasoning of the Appellate Division of the Court of BiH, call a referendum and hold a parliamentary session at which the necessary decisions would be adopted in defense of the Constitution of Srpska.

Mazalica pointed out that it is interesting that in yesterday's decision of the Appellate Division, which rejected the appeal filed by the legal team of President Milorad Dodik, it was stated that they did not consider the appeal argument referring to the violation of provisions of the Constitution of Republika Srpska on the termination of the President’s mandate, which specify that this is possible only through recall or resignation, and not by the decision of the CEC. "According to the Constitution of Srpska, the President of the Republic cannot be dismissed by a decision of the CEC, but only through resignation or recall. That leaves us room, completely legally and guided by the reasoning of the Appellate Division, to call a referendum, and we thank them for that one paragraph. We can hold a session of the National Assembly and adopt the necessary decisions, protecting the Constitution of Srpska," Mazalica emphasized. Mazalica said that there is no longer even a trace of hope for justice in BiH after the Appellate Division of the unconstitutional Court of BiH rejected the appeal of President Dodik's legal team regarding the decision of the Central Election Commission /CEC/ of BiH on stripping him of his mandate. He added that hope for justice was already lost after the very verdict against President Dodik, as well as the CEC decision. Mazalica believes that the interpretations of the law in the decision on the appeal are very far-fetched, noting that the appeal was fully rejected, and that they continue to insist that June 12 was the day of termination of the mandate, which, he said, is a blind interpretation of the law contrary to the rule of law. "The Court of BiH had to establish that the President of Republika Srpska was obliged to perform certain duties even after June 12, not knowing that the decision was final," Mazalica said. He pointed out that the decision of the CEC of BiH should have been declared null and void because the law was violated also in the case of CEC member Vanja Bjelica-Prutina, since it is no justification to claim that the decision would have been adopted even without her presence and vote. The Appellate Division of the unconstitutional Court of BiH yesterday rejected the appeal of the legal team of President Milorad Dodik against the decision of the Central Election Commission /CEC/ of BiH to strip him of his mandate. The CEC of BiH, at its session on August 6, adopted the decision to terminate the mandate of President Dodik due to non-compliance with the decisions of illegitimate Christian Schmidt.