Yesterday’s referendum held in the Serb entity in Bosnia and Herzegovina draws criticism from Croatian officials.
Croatian officials reacted on Monday to the referendum which was held on Sunday in the Republika Srpska, the Serb entity within Bosnia and Herzegovina, report Večernji List and Index.hr on September 26, 2016.
HDZ secretary general Gordan Jandroković said on Monday that the referendum was unconstitutional according to the decision of the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina, noting that the president of the entity Milorad Dodik was bringing into question territorial integrity and sovereignty of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Jandroković added that Dodik’s actions were very dangerous, saying that he was seriously jeopardizing territorial integrity and sovereignty of Bosnia and Herzegovina. “People should not play with such things. I believe that the international community and policy stakeholders in Bosnia will stop these processes, because they are dangerous not only for Bosnia and Herzegovina and Southeast Europe, but also for the whole of Europe”, said Jandroković.
According to latest data, almost everyone who participated in the referendum held on Sunday endorsed the proposal to mark 9 January as the entity holiday. Chairman of the Referendum Commission Siniša Karan told reporters that about 99.7 percent of voters supported the proposal.
Mate Granić, former Foreign Minister and adviser to President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović, said that the referendum was important for Dodik due to upcoming local elections, in order to strengthen the position of the Republika Srpska within Bosnia and Herzegovina, and to strengthen secessionism,” said Granić.
“We are now waiting for the response of the international community. I believe that the situation is dangerous – most important thing is for the Unites States to engage and to find allies within the European Union in order to preserve Bosnia and Herzegovina as a sovereign and united country, and for Croats to be an equal constituent people within Bosnia and Herzegovina”, he noted, adding that the worst thing was the fact that “the international representative was not using his powers”.
MEP Dubravka Šuica said that the referendum was unnecessary and that it brought further tensions to Bosnia. “This referendum was completely unnecessary and contrary to the decision of the Constitutional Court. This brings further tensions to Bosnia and Herzegovina at the time when the country is on the European path”, said Šuica. She added that she expected a stronger reaction from the international community, the EU High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy Federica Mogherini, Commissioner for Enlargement and Neighbourhood Policy Johannes Hahn, and the High Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Milijan Brkić, HDZ deputy president, said that his party condemned the referendum. “Such moves will not contribute to path of Bosnia and Herzegovina towards Euro-Atlantic integration”, he said.
