UZUNOVIĆ’S LETTER SHOWS THAT THERE IS NO LEGAL CERTAINTY IN BiH

BANJA LUKA, OCTOBER 21 /SRNA/ - The Serb member of the BiH Presidency, Željka Cvijanović, said that today’s letter from the Court of BiH to the Central Election Commission /CEC/, stating that Milorad Dodik cannot serve as president of the SNSD, shows that there is no legal certainty in BiH, as the same issues are being decided differently.

Cvijanović noted that the same matter had previously been decided one way and now another, and that it is currently being addressed in the form of a letter by Judge Sena Uzunović, who, according to legal experts, is not even competent to rule on such matters. "This is a letter from Ms. Sena Uzunović, who, as I understand, sought to problematize what was her response to certain media outlets by sending it, probably under pressure from her public, to the CEC, which, by a narrow 4-to-3 vote, decided to forward it to the Court of General Jurisdiction in Banja Luka," said Cvijanović. She added that those who were supposed to give an opinion on the matter have already done so, and that the SNSD has been registered for the elections with the accepted signature of the party’s leader, Milorad Dodik. Cvijanović emphasized that the situation is such that it is unclear who is actually making the decisions — those legally authorized to do so, or someone else. "In addition, there is a great deal of politicization surrounding President Milorad Dodik’s case, and this is the situation we have been living with for the past two years," Cvijanović told ATV. She said that this situation has served to expose the full absurdity of the legal system and public life in BiH — from legal uncertainty to the existence of an unelected foreigner who has no authority whatsoever under either domestic or international law, yet has usurped such powers. “Christian Schmidt has placed himself above the Parliamentary Assembly of BiH, deciding to impose laws that the Court of BiH then used to prosecute the democratically elected president of Republika Srpska for expressing his political stance on certain issues and for opposing Schmidt’s actions,” Cvijanović said. She recalled that Schmidt unilaterally and unlawfully amended the Criminal Code of BiH, introducing provisions under which those who do not comply with it can be sent to prison, along with other types of measures and bans, including a purely political decision declaring that Dodik cannot hold public office for six years. “I believe President Dodik has fought this battle with remarkable composure and determination — in a way few politicians could — but with a clear goal: to expose the absurdity of the legal system and to restore order,” Cvijanović said. She added that today's letter represents a turning point — whether order will be restored or the crisis will continue. “This depends least on Republika Srpska and on us who hold certain positions, and least of all on the people, who do not want crises, abuse of the judiciary, manipulations from foreign ‘kitchens,’ or conflicts with anyone. This is the clear position of the people and the institutions of Republika Srpska,” Cvijanović said. She said that the ball is now in someone else’s court, where the connection between foreign actors and certain domestic figures seeking to prolong the crisis is evident. Cvijanović pointed out that deliberate obstructions are preventing Dodik from completing all the necessary procedures within the domestic judiciary to appeal to the European Court of Human Rights. “You can see delays, and I can assume that the appeal he filed with the Constitutional Court of BiH will sit in a drawer for a long time, with the intention of preventing him from exhausting all legal remedies within the domestic judiciary,” Cvijanović said. She added that the strength of this connection is demonstrated by the call from Bakir Izetbegović, leader of the largest Bosniak political party, the SDA, not to allow Dodik to remain president of the SNSD or to shape the political environment, even though the strongest political party stands behind him. She said that all of this was done in order to undermine certain agreements and the new constructive role of the United States, which seeks to reset relations with Republika Srpska and create a more successful environment than the one that existed before. "Once again, an attempt is being made to turn something into a problem, because it is obvious that Sarajevo cannot live with the fact that we should live in peace and in line with what the Constitution provides, but needs to constantly find something new to problematize. Behind such actions lies the fact that the judiciary wants to defend Christian Schmidt, not us, the citizens of BiH," Cvijanović said. She added that all of this is simply a game that will be resolved in the only proper way, and that everything Republika Srpska does is aimed at preserving peace and stability. "Milorad Dodik will remain the party president," Cvijanović concluded.