The Canadian Bosnian Community is again worried about the future of its homeland, Bosnia and Herzegovina

August 22, 2016.

Hon. Marc-André Blanchard
Ambassador of the Permanent Mission of Canada to the United Nations

Dear Marc-André Blanchard

More than 50,000 Bosnian and Herzegovina Canadians were majority of
them are the surviving victims of aggression and genocide, due to a
referendum there are back to life of the horrors of the greatest
crimes since the Second World War in Europe. Again, we are concerned
about their homeland. Once again we hope Canada to help in the rescue
of the State of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The decision taken by the RS
National Assembly on July 15 regarding a referendum in RS on the issue
of RS Day violates the General Framework Agreement for Peace. This
referendum is unacceptable and represents a fundamental disruption to
the rule of law in Bosnia and Herzegovina. According to this decision,
the voters in Republic of Srpska are asked to vote on a question that
has already been decided upon by the Constitutional Court of Bosnia
and Herzegovina. The Bosnia and Herzegovina Constitution clearly
states that the decisions of the Bosnia and Herzegovina Constitutional
Court are final and binding and the entities are bound to comply with
decisions of the institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Let me remind
you that the Bosnia and Herzegovina Constitutional Court, as an
integral part of Annex 4 of the Dayton Peace Agreement has exclusive
jurisdiction to decide on disputes arising under the Bosnia and
Herzegovina Constitution and that all authorities in Bosnia and
Herzegovina, including the RS authorities, are bound to implement its
decisions.

We are informed that the Meeting of the Board of the Peace
Implementation Council in Bosnia and Herzegovina will be held on
Tuesday August 23, 2016.

Our position is very clear. Asking citizens in the RS to declare
themselves on an issue which has already been decided by the Bosnia
and Herzegovina Constitutional Court is a challenge to the Dayton
Peace Agreement. A final and binding decision of the Bosnia and
Herzegovina Constitutional Court cannot simply be undone, and
authorities are obliged to implement the court’s decisions. We
therefore call upon the Canada and all the members of the Steering
Board of the Peace Implementation Council in Bosnia and Herzegovina to
use all means to order RS authorities to respect the fundamentals of
the Peace Agreement, not only when it suits them, and seek a
resolution of this issue in accordance with the law.

Peace is once again in danger in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The duty of
all of Canada and democracy in the world is to jointly prevent any
serious disruption of peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina by the
anti-democratic, anti-civilization, inhuman action of the political
positions and the opposition in RS.

In the attachment is a letter to Canadian Prime Minister of the
Bosnian Community in Canada.

Sincerely yours.

On behalf of the Canadian Bosnian Community
Professor Emir Ramic