The High Representative Carlos Westendorp is concerned that four months after the elections, the President of Republika Srpska has still not nominated a candidate for Prime Minister who is capable of commanding a majority in the National Assembly.
The RS President is obliged through the principle of normal democratic process to nominate a candidate who will gain the support of a majority of the deputies in the National Assembly. President Poplasen has still not met this obligation.
The High Representative is concerned that the President continues to reject the clearly expressed will of the National Assembly. There is no valid reason to ignore democratic principles and exclude the one candidate who is clearly backed by the majority of the delegates in the Assembly. The actions of President Poplasen are damaging the interests of Republika Srpska and jeopardizing the cooperation of the International Community.
However, the current situation does not present the potential for a constitutional crisis, as some RS politicians, in particular President Poplasen, allege. The RS National Assembly and the government are functioning. But the situation does present the potential for a presidential crisis, brought about by the actions of President Poplasen himself.
In that context, the High Representative would like to stress that the press release issued yesterday by President Poplasen’s Cabinet does not reflect the substance of the talks that he and Ambassador Robert Barry, head of the OSCE mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina, had with the President.