The Mayor of Srebrenica, Mladen Grujičić, who is from Milorad Dodik's Alliance of Independent Social Democrats, confirmed to Radio Free Europe (RSE) that there are discussions in "municipal and party bodies" about launching an initiative to change the name of the municipality of Srebrenica.
"Next week we will know the specific steps that will be implemented," said Grujicic, without explaining the reason for launching the initiative.
His statement comes after Milorad Dodik, the president of Republika Srpska, told Belgrade's TV Happy on Thursday, May 30, and as reported by Radio Television of Republika Srpska, that in Srebrenica on July 11, "no one died, no one was killed, there were no operations the eleventh".
"That's why some of our people from Srebrenica say they've had enough of lies about all that and now they've launched an initiative to change the name, that Srebrenica should not be called Srebrenica, but to give the municipality another name, so we'll see how we develop it." said Dodik in an interview, reports RTRS.
Dodik's statement comes after the General Assembly passed a resolution on Srebrenica on May 23 declaring July 11 as the International Day of Remembrance for the Srebrenica Genocide.
In 2007, the International Court of Justice in The Hague characterized the crime in Srebrenica as genocide, which the official Belgrade and BiH authorities. entities Republika Srpska deny.
In the genocide in Srebrenica, committed in July 1995 by members of the Army of Republika Srpska, at least 8.372 Bosniaks were killed.
For the genocide in Srebrenica, more than 50 people were sentenced to about 700 years in prison, among them the wartime president of the RS, Radovan Karadžić, and the commander-in-chief of the RS Army, Ratko Mladić.
What does the law say about changing the name of municipalities in the RS?
The Law on Territorial Organization of the RS stipulates that the initiative to change the name of a local self-government unit can be submitted "by the interested assembly of the local self-government unit or at least 30 percent of the voters who reside in the area of the local self-government unit for which the name change is requested."
The law adds that an initiative submitted by at least 30 percent of voters who reside in the area of the local self-government unit for which a change is requested is called an opinion by the assembly of the local self-government unit.
"The initiative to change the name of the local self-government unit must be explained and must contain reasons that justify the name change," it is emphasized.
After that, the initiative is submitted to the RS Government, through the Ministry of Administration and Local Self-Government.
The government makes a decision on the initiative to change the name of the local self-government unit, after considering the initiative.
In case of acceptance of the initiative, within 30 days from the day of the decision, the Government will determine the draft law and refer it to the further procedure.
The Srebrenica Municipal Assembly consists of 21 councilors, of which seven are from the SNSD, two from the Democratic People's Alliance, one from the United Srpska and one from DEMOS. They form the ruling coalition in that municipality.
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