Referendum delay in exchange for war crimes trials

The Serb Republic (RS) could postpone its referendum on Bosnia-Herzegovina Court and Prosecution "if trials for crimes committed against Serbs start in Bosnia". This is according to RS President Milorad Dodik, who said the Serb entity would not give up on the referendum, scheduled to take place next month. Referendum delay in exchange for war crimes trials But in case the war crimes trials start, he told B92 TV late on Sunday, the voting could be put off for 90 days, or could be rescheduled for the fall. Dodik also said that issues that needed to be discuses were "related to the fact that war crimes committed against Serbs are not being processed, while Serbs are present in great numbers as defendants". Meanwhile, a possible move of the high international representative in Bosnia, Valentin Inzko, to annul the decision to call the referendum would not be published in the RS Official Gazette - "and therefore would be invalid". "Should Inzko annul the decision on the referendum we would not publish it in the Official Gazette, and in the formal and legal sense it would have no consequences," said the RS president. He added that this would then be discussed in the RS assembly, "where there is a compact majority that will vote down any demand to annul the referendum". Dodik also stated that he believed the UN Security Council would not adopt Inzko's latest report, which says the Serb entity was violating the Dayton Accords. Inzko is due to present his report on Monday. In it, he describes the referendum as an attack on the 1995 peace treaty. Previously, the RS assembly decided to call the referendum, where the citizens will declare their support for the laws imposed by high international representatives, particularly that which in 2003 established the Bosnia-Herzegovina Court and Prosecution. Milorad Dodik (FoNet, file)

Referendum delay in exchange for war crimes trials

But in case the war crimes trials start, he told B92 TV late on Sunday, the voting could be put off for 90 days, or could be rescheduled for the fall.

Dodik also said that issues that needed to be discuses were "related to the fact that war crimes committed against Serbs are not being processed, while Serbs are present in great numbers as defendants".

Meanwhile, a possible move of the high international representative in Bosnia, Valentin Inzko, to annul the decision to call the referendum would not be published in the RS Official Gazette - "and therefore would be invalid".

"Should Inzko annul the decision on the referendum we would not publish it in the Official Gazette, and in the formal and legal sense it would have no consequences," said the RS president.

He added that this would then be discussed in the RS assembly, "where there is a compact majority that will vote down any demand to annul the referendum".

Dodik also stated that he believed the UN Security Council would not adopt Inzko's latest report, which says the Serb entity was violating the Dayton Accords.

Inzko is due to present his report on Monday. In it, he describes the referendum as an attack on the 1995 peace treaty.

Previously, the RS assembly decided to call the referendum, where the citizens will declare their support for the laws imposed by high international representatives, particularly that which in 2003 established the Bosnia-Herzegovina Court and Prosecution.