Par euronews
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The Bosnian electoral authorities dismissed Milorad Dodik from his post as president of Republika Srpska (RS) and convened early elections within 90 days to provide the vacant position.
This decision comes after the confirmation on the appeal of a verdict condemning the nationalist leader to one year in prison as well as six years of prohibition to exercise any political function.
During the initial judgment, rendered at the end of February by a court based in Sarajevo, Milorad Dodik was found guilty of having ignored the decisions of the High International Representative Christian Schmidt responsible for supervising the application of the Dayton Peace Accords.
In response, the president of the DR called on all the Serbian parties of Bosnia to block behind him. The majority of opposition parties, however, refused to follow him.
The manager announced his intention to appeal this decision before the electoral commission, declaring that it was a “New Sarajevo bullshit”central and stay in office.
“There is no capitulation or abandonment. Capitulation is not an option”, he said in a message published on the social network X.
Milorad Dodik received support from Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and the Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Maria Zakharova.
Call for independence of the RS
In recent months, Milorad Dodik has introduced new laws aimed at prohibiting the functioning of state judicial and security institutions in what includes around half of the country of Western Balkans. The decisions were temporarily suspended by the Constitutional Court at the level of the State.
The leader also questioned the legitimacy of the High Representative Schmidt, whose mandate contradicts the Dayton Agreement.
Signed in 1995, this agreement ended the war between the three main ethnic groups of the country – the Bosnians, the Serbs and the Croats – which started in 1992 during the dissolution of the ex -Yugoslavia and which is considered the bloodiest conflict on European soil since the Second World War.
The high representative is supposed to play the role of main referee in important disputes and a key figure responsible for supervising the implementation of the agreement.
The peace agreement, of which some parts act as constitution, divides the country into two major administrative units, or entities: the Serbian majority and the Bosnian and Croatian federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBIH), partially supervised by a government government.
Destined to appease the former belligerents, he created a complex system of balance of powers, considered to be the most complex democracy in the world.
Milorad Dodik, who has held various high -level positions, including the presidency of the State, for decades, has repeatedly demanded the independence of the RS compared to the rest of Bosnia, which has fueled fears of instability. He was the subject of American and British sanctions for his actions, but benefited from the constant support of Moscow.
Major political crisis
The permanent challenge launched by Milorad Dodik at the high representative and the authority of national institutions was considered the greatest test of post-war stability for the hope of membership in the EU.
The Bosnia and Herzegovina Court issued a national arrest warrant against the leader in March. Since then, he went to neighboring Serbia, Israel and Russia, where he attended the May 9, victory day celebrations, organized in Moscow by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Back in the country, tensions again exacerbated at the end of April after inspectors of the State Security Agency tried to arrest Milorad Dodik, but were prevented from it.
Although the details of the incident are not clear, the national media reported that the SIPA agents had left the scene after having “speak” to the RS police. Milorad Dodik later said that he felt “Good and safe”.
The crisis linked to his potential arrest was somewhat defused in July, when Milorad Dodik came out of his own free will at the state prosecutor’s office to be questioned, after which the arrest warrant was canceled.
According to Bosnian law, the president of the RS may pay a fine for each day of his prison sentence of one year instead of serving a prison sentence.
The European force for peacekeeping in Bosnia, EUFOR, increased the number of its troops in response to tensions at the beginning of the year.
In March, NATO secretary general, Mark Rutte, promised support “unwavering” From the military alliance to the territorial integrity of Bosnia.
“Three decades after the Dayton Peace Agreement, I can tell you that NATO remains firmly attached to the stability of Bosnia and Herzegovina: NATO remains firmly attached to the stability of this region and to the security of Bosnia and Herzegovina. We will not allow harshly won peace.” he said.