Bosnia's Armed Forces will not take part in this year's ceremony marking January 9 as the Day of the Republika Srpska (RS), Bosnia's Serb-dominated part, Serb leader Milorad Dodik confirmed Tuesday.
“I don't wanna beg anyone or anything, or humiliate those people from the Armed Forces. They are welcome to attend every manifestation, I appreciate them a lot and will be there with them during the marking of Christmas at ‘Kozara’ barracks,” Dodik told media after he laid wreaths at a memorial to fallen soldiers of former RS Army.
Participation of the Third Infantry Regiment's soldiers, which consists of the Serb representatives in the joint Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina, was raised as an issue in 2017 when then Serb Presidency member, Mladen Ivanic, decided to line them up on this date at his own initiative and despite the Defence Ministry's order not to do that.
Following the ceremony, the ministry launched an investigation which held no one accountable for allowing the attendance of the Armed Forces in a ceremony marking the day that was previously declared unconstitutional.
Bosnia's Constitutional Court ruled on November 26, 2015, that January 9 as the RS Day discriminates non-Serbs in this entity since this date is also the Orthodox day of St. Stephen.
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Nearly a year later, the same court banned the referendum which the RS authorities organised for citizens to say if they wanted January 9 to be marked as the RS National Day. The voter turnout was 55.77% and almost 100% of the surveyed citizens voted YES.
The state-level court annulled the referendum results, explaining that the vote was held despite earlier ban the court had issued. The Serb leadership never approved of this decision.
Instead of demanding the soldiers’ attendance in the parade next year, Dodik formed an honorary platoon for this purpose saying he did not need Bosnia's army any longer.
Celebrating January 9 as the RS Day is a reality that must be accepted,” the Serb leader said on Tuesday.
“Just like we tolerate here our existence in Bosnia and Herzegovina, they will have to get used to us too. Bosnia and Herzegovina is not the happiest place for us, but we're aware of the international agreement, the obligations stemming from the Dayton Agreement and the Constitution and we only want the constitutional status. If it is returned, Bosnia and Herzegovina is not disputable,” said Dodik, stressing that any other option would be disputable.
Dayton Peace Accords (DPA) ended the 1992-95 Bosnian war and established the power-sharing system in Bosnia, dividing the country into two semi-autonomous regions, RS dominated by the Serbs and Federation (FBiH) shared by the Bosniaks and the Croats.
Each entity has its own government and elects their respective representatives to the state-level institutions. In this term, Dodik represents RS and the Serbs in Bosnia's tripartite Presidency, being the first in the line to hold the Presidency chairmanship.
RS got strong in the belief that it has to “survive all challenges and be stable,” Dodik said.
Earlier on Tuesday, the Mayor of Banja Luka, the RS administrative centre, said all catering establishments in central parts of the town must be closed during the period when the official ceremonies take place.
The order was issued upon a request of RS Ministry of Interior, the institution in charge of safety during the ceremony on Tuesday and Wednesday.
