Prime Minister of Republika Srpska, Radovan Viskovic, in office since 2018, resigned on Monday.
“We have decided to elect a new government in Republika Srpska (RS),” one of the leaders of the Serbian entity has been targeted for 2023 by US sanctions for the DAYTON peace agreement by its political actions.
Oppose the conviction of Milorad Dodik
At a press conference, Viskovic explained that his departure was his “contribution to (the establishment of) a wider consensus in RS”, to oppose the verdict against Milorad Dodik. The latter saw a court of appeal from Sarajevo recently confirming his conviction to one year in prison and six years of ineligibility. He was found guilty of non-compliance with the decisions of the High International Representative, responsible for enforcing the peace agreement.
Milorad Dodik, a veritable political leader of Bosnia Serbs, recently called for the formation of a “government of national unity” to respond in a “political” manner to his trial, he said, with the objective of “eliminating it from the local political life”.
A legal procedure is underway before a court in Sarajevo, the last step before Milorad Dodik was formally fallen from his mandate. Milorad Dodik already said in early August in early August that he would not give up his position as president of the Serbian entity, and announced the holding of a referendum on his policy, and more specifically to ask the residents of the RS if he had to withdraw or not. He said on Monday that this referendum should take place at the end of September.
