“It would be wrong to cancel RS referendum”

If Serbs and Croats leave Bosnian institutions, Bosniaks may end up controlling the entire state, International Crisis Group President Louise Arbour has warned. She believes that it would therefore be wrong to cancel a decision to hold a referendum in the Republic of Srpska (RS). “It would be wrong to cancel RS referendum” In a letter to top EU officials, Arbour said that the situation in Bosnia-Herzegovina was “increasingly worrying” and that the International Crisis Group was afraid that Serbs and Croats would leave the state institutions. “If this happens, a situation will occur in which Bosniak parties will control a failed and bankrupt state, whose institutions have been left by the Serbs and Croats,” the first Hague Tribunal chief prosecutor said. She pointed out that the high representative’s decision to suspend the Central Elections Committee (CIK) decision which canceled the forming of the federal government and the right to appeal to the decision had undermined the state bodies and the rule of law and that it would be even worse if the decision was followed by an attempt to cancel the RS’ decision to hold the referendum. “It would be even worse if an attempt to cancel the RS’ decision on referendum or to impose sanctions against entity’s President Milorad Dodik followed the decision, because such attempts would probably encounter rejection and it would make the referendum campaign even more destabilizing,” Arbour pointed out in the letter. “This is why the international community should avoid making hasty decisions that could deepen the crisis and push the parties toward maximalist positions,” she stressed. The International Crisis Group president added that everybody involved bore responsibility for the current crisis, including the international community.

“It would be wrong to cancel RS referendum”

In a letter to top EU officials, Arbour said that the situation in Bosnia-Herzegovina was “increasingly worrying” and that the International Crisis Group was afraid that Serbs and Croats would leave the state institutions.

“If this happens, a situation will occur in which Bosniak parties will control a failed and bankrupt state, whose institutions have been left by the Serbs and Croats,” the first Hague Tribunal chief prosecutor said.

She pointed out that the high representative’s decision to suspend the Central Elections Committee (CIK) decision which canceled the forming of the federal government and the right to appeal to the decision had undermined the state bodies and the rule of law and that it would be even worse if the decision was followed by an attempt to cancel the RS’ decision to hold the referendum.

“It would be even worse if an attempt to cancel the RS’ decision on referendum or to impose sanctions against entity’s President Milorad Dodik followed the decision, because such attempts would probably encounter rejection and it would make the referendum campaign even more destabilizing,” Arbour pointed out in the letter.

“This is why the international community should avoid making hasty decisions that could deepen the crisis and push the parties toward maximalist positions,” she stressed.

The International Crisis Group president added that everybody involved bore responsibility for the current crisis, including the international community.