Inzko: There will not be referendum in RS

High Representative in Bosnia Valentin Inzko believes the Republic of Srpska (RS) will not have a referendum on the status of foreign judges and prosecutors. Inzko told Sarajevo daily Dnevni Avaz that his decisions to extend their mandates were not directed against any people and that they were neutral and balanced. Inzko: There will not be referendum in RS “A referendum will not be held. But even if it were to be called, some 50-60 percent would maybe be in favor of the asked question, but the important issue is how big a turnout to such a referendum would be. Maybe the result would be against the organizer,” he said. Commenting the last decisions, the high representative said that they were not against the Serb, or the other Bosnian entity, the Muslim-Croat Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina. “The decision supports the rule of law. It is not directed against anyone. I do not see why that would be against the RS, and someone can say that it is against the Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina too,” the Austrian diplomat stated, and repeated that the latest decisions were "not directed against any of the peoples". “All the foreigners are staying on, I think that is clear, in the same quality," the newspaper quoted him as saying. "I would not speculate whether that is someone’s victory or not, but this is a unanimous decision of all the members of the Peace Implementation Council.” According the Dnevni Avaz report, Inzko said that "only Turkish Ambassador Vefahan Ocak, while supporting the decisions, said that Turkey also demanded the stay of all the prosecutors and judges". Commenting on a case brought against RS Prime Minister Milorad Dodik by the foreign prosecutors, Inzko said that he assumed that all current cases would continue. “Nothing will end up in a drawer. I do not know exactly who did it, but all the prosecutors will remain as advisors and they will transfer their experience to the local prosecutors,” he said. The high representative refused to comment on the likely mayor of the town of Mostar, which has Croats and Bosnian Muslims, or Bosniaks, as it majority population. “This decision is completely neutral, technical and all combinations are possible. I do not know who will agree with whom. So far, the problem has been that they did not make agreements at all. There have been 17 attempts to choose a mayor and there has always been 13 or 14 votes in favor. I hope they will reach an agreement now,” he pointed out. Also on Tuesday, Dodik announced that the RS government had rejected Inzko’s decision which extended the mandates of judges and prosecutors at the War Crimes Department of the Court of Bosnia-Herzegovina for three years, as well as the decision regarding the statute of the city of Mostar. Dodik explained that government met in an extraordinary session in Banja Luka to reject Inzko’s decisions and that it would not implement them, because "there was no constitutional foundation for the high representative to impose such decisions".

Inzko: There will not be referendum in RS

“A referendum will not be held. But even if it were to be called, some 50-60 percent would maybe be in favor of the asked question, but the important issue is how big a turnout to such a referendum would be. Maybe the result would be against the organizer,” he said.

Commenting the last decisions, the high representative said that they were not against the Serb, or the other Bosnian entity, the Muslim-Croat Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina.

“The decision supports the rule of law. It is not directed against anyone. I do not see why that would be against the RS, and someone can say that it is against the Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina too,” the Austrian diplomat stated, and repeated that the latest decisions were "not directed against any of the peoples".

“All the foreigners are staying on, I think that is clear, in the same quality," the newspaper quoted him as saying. "I would not speculate whether that is someone’s victory or not, but this is a unanimous decision of all the members of the Peace Implementation Council.”

According the Dnevni Avaz report, Inzko said that "only Turkish Ambassador Vefahan Ocak, while supporting the decisions, said that Turkey also demanded the stay of all the prosecutors and judges".

Commenting on a case brought against RS Prime Minister Milorad Dodik by the foreign prosecutors, Inzko said that he assumed that all current cases would continue.

“Nothing will end up in a drawer. I do not know exactly who did it, but all the prosecutors will remain as advisors and they will transfer their experience to the local prosecutors,” he said.

The high representative refused to comment on the likely mayor of the town of Mostar, which has Croats and Bosnian Muslims, or Bosniaks, as it majority population.

“This decision is completely neutral, technical and all combinations are possible. I do not know who will agree with whom. So far, the problem has been that they did not make agreements at all. There have been 17 attempts to choose a mayor and there has always been 13 or 14 votes in favor. I hope they will reach an agreement now,” he pointed out.

Also on Tuesday, Dodik announced that the RS government had rejected Inzko’s decision which extended the mandates of judges and prosecutors at the War Crimes Department of the Court of Bosnia-Herzegovina for three years, as well as the decision regarding the statute of the city of Mostar.

Dodik explained that government met in an extraordinary session in Banja Luka to reject Inzko’s decisions and that it would not implement them, because "there was no constitutional foundation for the high representative to impose such decisions".