Bosnian Serb Parliament Backs Dodik’s Double Veto

At a special session on ended early on Thursday, the assembly of Bosnia's mainly Serb entity, Republika Srpska, backed vetoes proposed by Milorad Dodik on the visit of the President of Montenegro and on cooperation with the EU border agency Frontex.

Dodik, the Serbian member of the three-member Bosnian state presidency, has proposed a policy of non-cooperation with state institutions over a Constitutional Court ruling affecting the RS.

The issues of Montenegrin President Milo Djukanovic's visit and the agreement with Frontex were on the agenda of the last session of the state presidency.

The two other members of the presidency, Zeljko Komsic and Sefik Dzaferovic, representing Bosnian Croats and Bosniaks, both voted for the agreement and for the visit.

But Dodik was able to veto their action by invoking a constitutional mechanism designed to protect the so-called vital national interests of each of the country's three constituent nations.

"The official visit of … Djukanovic to Bosnia at the moment will certainly do nothing good for Montenegro or for Bosnia, given events in that neighbouring country," Dodik said addressing the RS parliament, referencing recent mass protests by the Serbian community there.

Since Montenegro's parliament passed a new law on religion on December 27, 2019, tens of thousands of Serbian Orthodox Church priests, believers and supporters have been protesting twice a week across the country, demanding its withdrawal.

The Montenegrin president cancelled the visit, which was planned for early March, after Dodik's statements. Some opposition parties in the RS called the attack on Djukanovic unwise.

"There are many ways to protest over what is happening in Montenegro, and this is the worst way and...