BELGRADE, August 18. /TASS/. A referendum on confidence in the political course of the leadership of Republika Srpska (the entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina) will be held at the end of September, Republika Srpska President Milorad Dodik said.

"We demand respect and freedom, and a referendum will give us that. Here is our message: return us to the Dayton Agreement. We will express our opinion during the referendum, which is scheduled for late September," he said at a press conference.

During the vote, residents of Republika Srpska will be asked whether they support the adoption of key decisions by High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina Christian Schmidt, Dodik specified. The leadership of Republika Srpska does not recognize Schmidt’s legitimacy.

Republika Srpska "will oppose any external interference," Dodik emphasized. He expressed his readiness to hold a vote on the entity's independence in case there are attempts to put further pressure on Bosnian Serbs. The president of Republika Srpska said that the contingent of the European Union Force Bosnia and Herzegovina (EUFOR) could be deployed on the border between Republika Srpska and the Muslim-Croat Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina if necessary.

As per the General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina, also known as the Dayton Agreement, Bosnia and Herzegovina is made up of two entities: the Muslim-Croat Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (approximately 51% of the country’s territory) and Republika Srpska (about 49% of the territory), along with the Brcko District. The three primary ethnic groups — Bosniaks (Slavs converted to Islam), Serbs (Orthodox Christians), and Croats (Catholics) — are represented proportionally in the government.

The country is essentially governed through a high representative (a post created by the Dayton Agreement), who is appointed by the steering committee of the Peace Implementation Council after approval by the UN Security Council. However, in May 2021, the ambassadors of the steering committee countries decided to appoint Christian Schmidt as the new high representative without approval from the UN Security Council. Russia and China do not recognize Schmidt’s legitimacy.

On August 6, the Central Election Commission of Bosnia and Herzegovina terminated Dodik’s mandate as president of Republika Srpska due to his conviction and ordered an early election. Earlier, Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Appeals Panel of the Court upheld the first-instance verdict, sentencing Dodik to six years in prison and banning him from engaging in political activities for refusing to comply with the decisions of High Representative Christian Schmidt. Later, the decision to imprison him was replaced with a monetary fine.