SUPPORT FOR VETO SENDS CLEAR MESSAGE ON REPUBLIKA SRPSKA'S VOICE IN SARAJEVO

SARAJEVO, JULY 7 /SRNA/ – Deputy Chairperson of the Council of Ministers Staša Košarac said the two-thirds majority in the National Assembly of Republika Srpska backing the veto of the Serb member of the BiH Presidency Željka Cvijanović was a strong institutional response to those who believe Republika Srpska can be outvoted, humiliated or politically disciplined.

Košarac said the message was clear: Republika Srpska will not be outvoted within the institutions of BiH. "Once again, we have confirmed that Republika Srpska has a say in Sarajevo," Košarac posted on Instagram. He said the lawmakers' decision to support the Serb member of the Presidency's veto represented far more than support for a single veto. "It is a clear message that Republika Srpska does not accept outvoting, majorization, or the systematic erosion of the rights of the Serb people. We are protecting Republika Srpska's constitutional position and the right of the Serb people to safeguard their own history, culture and heritage," Košarac pointed out. He congratulated the lawmakers who demonstrated political maturity, responsibility and unity when it mattered most. "Today they were not defending an individual, but the institutions of Republika Srpska, its constitutional authority and its right to independently protect its vital interests," Košarac said. He added that those accustomed to reshaping political relations in BiH through political pressure, foreign mentors and outvoting had received an unequivocal message that Republika Srpska is neither anyone's political target nor an experiment. "Any attempt to bypass its institutions will be met with a strong, democratic and constitutional response from Republika Srpska," Košarac concluded. Earlier today, the National Assembly of Republika Srpska, by a two-thirds majority, confirmed the statement by the Serb member of the BiH Presidency Željka Cvijanović, declaring that the Presidency's decision appointing members of the Commission to Preserve National Monuments, adopted without consensus at the Presidency session, was highly detrimental to the vital interests of Republika Srpska. Of the 64 lawmakers present, 59 voted in favor, two voted against, and none abstained. The vote means the disputed Presidency decision will not enter into force in Republika Srpska.