KOVAČEVIĆ: FOUR SERB DEPUTIES IN THE HOUSE OF PEOPLES GUARANTEED TO PROTECT SRPSKA’S INTERESTS

BANJA LUKA, NOVEMBER 9 /SRNA/ – Republika Srpska will have four deputies in the House of Peoples of the Parliamentary Assembly of BiH in the next parliamentary term who will undoubtedly protect its interests and cooperate with Srpska institutions, Serb deputy to the House of Peoples Radovan Kovačević said.

Kovačević stated that the SNSD had already secured a two-thirds majority in the Republika Srpska National Assembly and would also have the necessary majority to represent Srpska at the level of BiH joint institutions.

“We will have ten MPs in the House of Representatives of the Parliamentary Assembly of BiH and four deputies in the House of Peoples. Four deputies in the House of Peoples are guaranteed,” Kovačević told ATV.

Explaining the significance of this balance of power, he recalled that Republika Srpska elects 14 MPs to the House of Representatives of the Parliamentary Assembly of BiH and that the support of ten MPs is required to reliably block decisions that would run counter to Srpska’s interests.

“The system has been designed in such a way that Republika Srpska is always placed in a vulnerable position. They said that Srpska elects 14 MPs to the House of Representatives and that, to ensure that something contrary to the interests of Republika Srpska cannot pass, you need the support of ten out of those 14. Not eight, which would constitute a majority, nor nine, which is how many we won directly in the elections as the SNSD and its coalition partners, but ten out of 14,” Kovačević said.

He noted that a similar principle applied to the House of Peoples, where four deputies are required to ensure the protection of Republika Srpska's interests.

He stressed that the SNSD had previously sought to ensure a unified approach by Serb representatives in the joint institutions, adding that this had often exposed them to criticism from the opposition.

“We were protecting the constitutional position and constitutional capacity of Republika Srpska,” Kovačević said.

Regarding relations with the opposition in Republika Srpska, Kovačević said that SNSD leader Milorad Dodik had already invited opposition parties to participate in joint efforts on issues of importance to Republika Srpska.

He assessed that the current political moment was historic and that all political forces in Republika Srpska should unite in protecting its interests, regardless of their political differences.

“We have understood that this is a historic moment when we should stand together, be united and act in solidarity on a common front to preserve and protect the interests of Republika Srpska. We should recognise this opportunity to perhaps gain something more or reclaim some of what has been taken away from us, or, in any case, stand as a barrier against all those who believe they can take or seize even more from us,” Kovačević said.

He added that joint action by the ruling parties and the opposition would be the best solution, but that it would be up to the opposition parties to decide whether to accept the invitation.

Kovačević stressed that the ruling coalition has the necessary political capacity to form the government and protect Republika Srpska's interests in the joint institutions even without opposition participation.

He reiterated that the four deputies representing Republika Srpska would undoubtedly work in its interests and cooperate with its institutions.

Kovačević stressed that it should not be forgotten that Serb deputies in the House of Peoples are deouties appointed by the National Assembly of Republika Srpska, and that their duty must be to protect Srpska's interests and cooperate with its institutions.