Milorad Dodik, President of the entity Republika Srpska (RS), announced that a referendum will be held in late September. He made the statement at a press conference in Banja Luka on August 18, during which RS Prime Minister Radovan Višković submitted his resignation.
The announcement follows the decision of the Central Election Commission (CEC) of Bosnia and Herzegovina to revoke Dodik’s mandate as President of RS, after he was convicted earlier this month by the Court of BiH to one year in prison and six years of ban from public office for failing to comply with the decisions of the High Representative.
Dodik framed the referendum as a response to what he considers violations of the Dayton Peace Agreement, stating:
“We are demanding respect and freedom, which will be expressed through a referendum. Our message is clear – return us to the Dayton Agreement. Citizens will give their opinion in late September.”
Meanwhile, Dodik’s legal team filed an appeal to the CEC decision, which has been forwarded to the Court of BiH. By law, the Appellate Division of the Court of BiH must decide on the appeal by August 18, and its ruling will be final. If the appeal is rejected, the CEC will be required to call early elections for RS President within 90 days.
Constitutional Concerns
The Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina does not explicitly regulate referendums, but lower levels of government cannot organize a referendum on matters under state-level jurisdiction. This makes Dodik’s referendum plan unconstitutional, echoing past legal disputes over similar initiatives.
Previous Referendum Attempts
- In 2011, RS authorities scheduled a referendum against laws imposed by the High Representative but canceled it after EU pressure.
- In 2016, a referendum was held on celebrating January 9 as RS Day, despite a ruling by the Constitutional Court of BiH declaring it unconstitutional. The referendum results were annulled, but no sanctions were imposed on Dodik.
Legal experts and international observers warn that the planned September referendum could further destabilize Bosnia and Herzegovina’s fragile political system.
