National Assembly of Republika Srpska will consider the draft law on the day of this entity today, at a special session. The decision was made yesterday by the assembly collegium and the session will be held in Banja Luka.
The draft law was proposed by the Government of RS, after which the Prime Minister of the smaller BiH entity Željka Cvijanović requested from the President of the National Assembly to schedule an extraordinary session of the parliament that will be dedicated to this topic.
President of RS Milorad Dodik said earlier that this entity remains adamant to its decision on the Day of RS, January 9, as well as that this holiday will be celebrated as secular. He stated that the first article of the draft law on the Day of RS says that January 9 is the Day of RS according to the will of people and that the Government will decide on engagement and work of institutions in relation to this holiday.
A year ago, the Constitutional Court of BiH disputed January 9 as the Day of RS and requested from the RS to harmonize that holiday with the Constitution so that it does not discriminate two nations in that BiH entity. Despite the Court’s decision, on September 25 this year the RS implemented a referendum at which the majority of citizens supported the celebration of January 9 as the Day of RS.
For Bosniaks in the RS, January 9 is unacceptable as an entity holiday.
(Source: radiosarajevo.ba)