DODIK: NO AUTHORITY OF SARAJEVO COURT OVER SRPSKA'S JUDICIARY

BANJA LUKA, APRIL 9 /SRNA/ – SNSD President Milorad Dodik stated that the SDA and its leader Bakir Izetbegović are seeking to place the Court of BiH above the courts in Republika Srpska, which, he stressed, is not possible under the constitutional structure.

"The BiH Constitution states that the judiciary falls under the jurisdiction of the entities, not BiH. The Court of BiH cannot be superior to our courts; there is no hierarchy there, and that is precisely what Bakir Izetbegović wants, but we will not allow it," Dodik told reporters in Banja Luka. He noted that political Sarajevo had attempted to transfer decision-making on excise duties to the Council of Ministers in order to turn it into a government, although it is merely an auxiliary body of the BiH Presidency. "They were not discussing how much excise duties should be reduced, but rather transferring authority so that the Council of Ministers could decide on it," Dodik said. He stated that Republika Srpska acted responsibly on this issue, taking measures and reducing excise duties for the portion under Srpska jurisdiction. Dodik reminded that fuel prices had dropped by around 20 percent globally following the ceasefire between the United States and Iran, expressing expectations that prices would also decrease locally. "We will simply ensure that this is in line with current market conditions," Dodik said.