The international community's High Representative to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Valentin Inzko, said that the announced referendum in the Republika Srpska challenging the existence of the State Court and the Office of the Chief State Prosecutor of Bosnia and Herzegovina will not go without consequences, adding that he did not rule out the possibility of replacing officials of the Bosnian Serb entity.
Only a naive person can believe that such disrespect for the most important document for Bosnia and Herzegovina - the Dayton pace Agreement - can go without consequences. I don't wish to be forced to use the powers of my office, but I have all the support I need to do so, Inzko said in an interview with the Sarajevo-based Dnevni Avaz daily which hit the newsstands on Saturday.
Inzko said that the protection of the Dayton Agreement was the main talks and that he would not avoid this responsibility. Asked if he would replace Republika Srpska President Milorad Dodik or the President of the National Assembly of the Republika Srpska, Igor Radojicic, both senior officials of the Alliance of Independent Social Democrats, Inzko said he hoped he would not have to do that, but he did not rule it out.
I am still considering what should I do. I am still hoping that I will not have to act on this, Inzko said.
The European External Action Service Managing Director for Europe and Central Asia, Miroslav Lajcak, said in Sarajevo on Friday that the Republika Srpska's decision to call a referendum was irresponsible and wrong.
The Bosnian Serb National Assembly has decided to call the referendum challenging the existence of the State Court and the Office of the Chief State Prosecutor of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The decision was published in the entity's official gazette earlier this week.
