KOVAČEVIĆ: WE WILL RESPOND TO ALL ATTACKS IN A DEMOCRATIC MANNER

BANJA LUKA, AUGUST 26 /SRNA/ – Serb deputy in the House of Peoples of the Parliamentary Assembly of BiH Radovan Kovačević has stated today that the essence of Republika Srpska's struggle is the right to make decisions, therefore the Serb people will not be subjugated and will respond to all attacks in a democratic manner.

"That is why we are going to call a referendum. We have the right to make decisions. Those who attack us are trying to take that right away from us," emphasized Kovačević.

He has added that when someone doesn't have the right to make decisions, the one is subjugated.

"We are not subjects. We are entering a democratic struggle to protect our rights, which is why we are going to be the ones to decide our own fate," Kovačević told RTRS.

He reiterated that the people elected the president of Republika Srpska, who has been acting in line with the Constitution, and yet, an unappointed foreigner comes and says, "Whoever does not respect me will be held accountable."

"The Republika Srpska National Assembly deputies adopt decisions and laws, but that foreigner says, `I annul them.` That means they are taking away our right to make decisions," added Kovačević.

He has repeated that Republika Srpska will not allow this and expressed concern about the opposition's behaviour regarding this.

"The opposition has no stance nor programme. They show up but don't even vote on the most important decisions in the National Assembly," Kovačević said.

He pointed out that the citizens will decide "whether we are Republika Srpska or we are nothing".

"I believe the citizens will decide that we are Republika Srpska. Someone is telling us that we don't have the right to ask the people what they think. We do have that right, it's within our jurisdiction," Kovačević emphasized.

Speaking about the vote on the budget of joint institutions in the BiH Presidency, Kovačević said that the Bosniak member Denis Bećirović and the Croat member Željko Komšić, through outvoting, want to decide where money - including money from Republika Srpska - will be spent.

"Republika Srpska will not allow that," Kovačević said.