DODIK: THERE WILL BE REFERENDUM

BANJA LUKA, OCTOBER 16 /SRNA/ – The President of Republika Srpska Milorad Dodik said that a referendum must be held in Srpska.

Dodik stated that the Muslims used constitutional mechanisms by launching initiatives on the very last day each time, therefore extending the deadlines.

He said that it would be best for the referendum to be held on January 9.

"For the Serb people, it is important to have behind them a historic and major referendum that will confirm we have never accepted international interventions," Dodik told Večernje Novosti.

He reiterated that no one in Republika Srpska, neither the government nor the opposition, wants early elections.

"These elections are a humiliation for Republika Srpska. The electoral process is supposed to be independent and must not be transferred elsewhere, but the opposition in Srpska accepted that," Dodik stated.

He reminded that the opposition had been offered the formation of a government of national unity, but they refused to discuss it and, on the same day, representatives of SDS and PDP went to Sarajevo.

Dodik emphasized that he remains the elected president of Republika Srpska under its Constitution, and that the decision of the Court of BiH represents an attack on that Constitution.

"Many people believe that I am unquestionably their president, and all are loyal to me. Whoever comes in, the only thing you hear from my people is, `Ask the president`. That is loyalty, attitude, discipline. The opposition doesn't have that, so they can't understand it," Dodik said.