The Serb member and Chairman of the Presidency of BiH, Milorad Dodik, said that the first Constitution of the Republic of Srpska was adopted at a time when there were no armed conflicts in BiH and that it reflected the political will of the Serbian people and their desire to have an independent Republic of Srpska.

- After the decision to found the Republic of Srpska, the adoption of the Constitution is the most important political and legal act that an emerging state can and should have - said Dodik tonight in the show that was broadcast on RTRS and RTS as a TV-reception on the occasion of marking the Day of the Republic of Srpska and the day of adoption of the first Constitution of Srpska.

According to him, those were very difficult times.

- The adoption of the Constitution demonstrated awareness of what is being done and that in that respect the formation of the Republic of Srpska had its continuity - from the decision on its founding, through the Constitution, to the legal regulations that were supposed to regulate all other relations - said Dodik.

He pointed out that it should be noted that the Constitution of the Republic of Srpska was adopted at a time when there were no armed conflicts in BiH and that it reflected the political will of the Serbian people, presented through its political representatives from various political parties who gathered and adopted the Constitution.

- That was very important and indicated our tendency. We wanted an independent state of the Republic of Srpska, and naturally there is no state without a Constitution - Dodik pointed out.

Dodik evaluated that, looking from the current perspective, the democratic capacity of the Republic of Srpska would be strongly endangered without it and that no one could endanger the adoption of the Constitution as the most democratic act of a country, especially since various representatives of political parties, then incumbent authorities and the opposition took part in it.

Dodik noted that at that time, although an oppositionist, he was part of the overall Serbian efforts to constitute the Republic of Srpska and for the Republic of Srpska to exist in the state and legal and territorial sense.

- When I look at it today, we could hardly have gone through many things without it. Probably in the war and negotiations that were supposed to be conducted on the establishment of peace, legitimacy would not be as strong as it was, if there were no such acts. All that is part of the continuity and creation of the Republic of Srpska - he said.

Dodik assessed that the first Constitution underwent several unconstitutional changes, which were made by the former High Representative Wolfgang Petritsch.

- However, we certainly must work on it, the constitutional act is something that we must upgrade, modernize and in any case adapt to current times. The first Constitution was very important and it definitely indicated direction for the Serbian people in BiH - Dodik emphasized.

Source: RTRS