KARAN: DECISIVE STRUGGLE TO PRESERVE SRPSKA'S AUTONOMY

TESLIĆ, OCTOBER 10 /SRNA/ - Constitutional law professor Siniša Karan has emphasized today that Republika Srpska is engaged in a decisive professional, political, and national struggle to preserve its internationally recognised autonomy, warning that, under the guise of democratization, attempts are being made to create a framework for constitutional amendments in BiH, with the ultimate goal of establishing a unitary state.

"The Republika Srpska institutions, academic community and society in general bear the responsibility of defending the agreed constitutional order in BiH. We must resist official Sarajevo's narrative, which portrays everything Serbian as destructive. We must not lose the autonomy that has been internationally verified," Karan stated during the October Law Days conference in Banja Vrućica outside Teslić. He reminded attendees that the constitutional order of BiH is based on the Dayton Peace Agreement, specifically the BiH Constitution as Annex IV of the peace agreement, as well as the Republika Srpska Constitution. "Unfortunately, we live in a time of instability, and in an era of violated international law and the promotion of imposed rules upheld by certain parts of the international community," Karan pointed out. He warns the UN Charter is not being respected, even though many invoke it. "Many international treaties that aimed to be definitive and resolve conflicts permanently have been devalued, giving signatories the right to shape their internal relations," said Karan. According to him, a synergy in forming a strong and consistent unified stance on what actions need to be taken in the current moment of highly important. Karan, who is also Republika Srpska Minister for Scientific and Technological Development and Higher Education, has noted that the role of Republika Srpska's representatives is extremely difficult, as it involves building and defending the rule of law in a lawless environment like BiH. "We are under occupation by an unelected foreigner, certain representatives of Western embassies, uconstitutional bodies such as the BiH Court and Prosecutor's Office, as well as the Constitutional Court of BiH, as an institution that has deviated from the essence of BiH as a state of communities. All these have been, for decades, systematically dismantling the Dayton Peace Agreement, which is an international treaty and the result of an agreement between the three constituent peoples and the foundation for the creation of today's BiH," Karan said. He emphasized that behind the narrative of democratization lies an attempt to establish a framework for constitutional reform in BiH, ultimately aiming for a unitary state accompanied by majorisation process and denial of the Serb people’s statehood. "The Serb people's fight for the rule of law is in direct opposition to official Sarajevo's efforts to impose unlawful decisions through insisting on the spirit of the Dayton. That's what previous High Representatives have done, abusing all processes in BiH through unilateral interpretations. Their methods included pressure, blackmail, threats, suspensions, blockades. They undermined the Geneva and New York principles on which BiH was founded, leading it into a state of permanent instability," Karan asserted. He reminded that Republika Srpska is continuously facing attempts to alter the BiH Constitution. "A choice is ahead of us - either silently accept and legitimize what has been done unlawfully, or fight for the rule of law. Republika Srpska is the framework of our freedom, as the guarantor of equality and a key part of the agreed constitutional order of two entities and three constituent peoples. The will of the people is above all. No one has the right to override it. The Srpska leadership has recognised these malicious political agendas and has consistently and firmly rejected them. The sovereignty of Republika Srpska is being restored in accordance with the constitutional system," Karan concluded. The October Law Days conference is a republic-level event with international participation and is being held at the Kardial Hotel in Banja Vrućica. The event will end tomorrow.