Republika Srpska parliament hints at referendum on statehood status
The parliament of the Republika Srpska, the Serbian entity in Bosnia, adopted a resolution on Thursday evening in which it resolutely rejects the unilateral declaration of Kosovo’s independence and underlines that, if the majority of UN, and in particular EU states, recognize Kosovo, it would have the right to hold a referendum on the statehood status of the republic.
(KosovoCompromise Staff) Friday, February 22, 2008
The parliament has asked the Republika Srpska officials in the Bosnian federal organs to prevent any attempts by these authorities to recognize the unilateral secession of Kosovo or attempt to have any institutional links with Pristina.
The resolution condemns countries which have recognized the unilateral declaration of independence and calls on other countries not to follow suit because it is against the UN Charter, against international law and the UN Security Council Resolution 1244.
If a larger part of the UN, and in particular EU countries, recognize the secession of Kosovo, the Republika Srpska parliament considers it would show that a new international principle would have been instaured in the field of recognition of the right to self-determination.
In that case, the resolution says, the Republika Srpska parliament would have the right to call on a referendum on stetehood status.
