STEVANDIĆ: CONSTITUTING BOSNIAK NATION MUST NOT MEAN SRPSKA ABOLITION

BANJA LUKA, SEPTEMBER 4 /SRNA/ – Republika Srpska National Assembly Speaker Nenad Stevandić has stated today in Banja Luka that the Serb people is not against the constitution of the Bosniak nation; they are only against the process being linked to the destruction and abolition of Republika Srpska.

Stevandić emphasized that such processes will not stabilize the region, and he hopes for political maturity in Sarajevo. "It is clear that they are more interested in conflicts, which makes this a good alibi for them," Stevandić told the press after the session of the Joint Commission of the National Assembly and the Council of Peoples of Republika Srpska, during which no concesus was reached regarding the Bosniaks' veto on the Law on Amendments to the Law on Referendum and Civic Initiative and calling the Republic referendum. Since the Republika Srpska Constitutional Court will decide on this matter, Stevandić pointed out that the arguments are on the side of those who voted for these acts. He stated that the referendum issue does not change the verdict but expresses an opinion on it, which is a fundamental democratic right of every individual and nation. "Violation of these rights is either Nazism or apartheid; there is no nicer word for it," Stevandić assessed. He claims that the referendum implementation commission will include members from all constituent peoples. The Joint Commission of the National Assembly and the Council of Peoples of Republika Srpska failed to reach an agreement regarding the initiation of the procedure to protect the vital national interest of the Bosniaks concerning the decision calling the Republic referendum and the decision about its premature implementation, so the Srpska Constitutional Court will decide on this matter. No consent was reached either regarding the initiation of the procedure to protect the vital national interest of the Bosniak people on the Law on Amendments to the Law on Referendum and Civic Initiative and the decision to prematurely enact this law. On August 22, the National Assembly of Republika Srpska adopted a decision to call a referendum regarding the ruling of the unconstitutional Court of BiH against the President of Republika Srpska Milorad Dodik and the decision of the BiH Central Election Commission /CEC/ regarding the termination of Dodik's office, setting the referendum date for October 25.