Republika Srpska National Day referendum, 2016

Republika Srpska National Day referendum
Results Votes  % Yes 677,721 7001998100000000000♠99.81% No 1,291 6999190000000000000♠0.19% Valid votes 679,012 7001998400000000000♠99.84% Invalid or blank votes 1,104 6999160000000000000♠0.16% Total votes 680,116 100.00% Registered voters/turnout 1,219,399 7001557700000000000♠55.77%
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A referendum on the National Day of Republika Srpska (RS), called the "Day of Republika Srpska" (Serbo-Croatian: Dan Republike Srpske, or Dan RS) was held on 25 September 2016. The Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina had on 26 November 2015 ruled against the constitutionality of the holiday, deeming it discriminatory against non-Serbs in the entity. The Day of RS falls on 9 January, which is both an Orthodox feast day and the date when the Bosnian Serb republic was declared in 1992. The result was 99.8% in favour of keeping the date.

Since the declaration of Republika Srpska (formerly the Republic of the Serb people of Bosnia and Herzegovina) on 9 January 1992, the national day in the entity has been celebrated on that date. On 26 November 2015 the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina ruled against the constitutionality of the RS National Day, held on 9 January, deeming it discriminatory against non-Serbs. The date marks the Orthodox day of St. Stephen (which is also the slava of RS, St. Stephen being the patron saint), as well as the 1992 establishment of Republika Srpska as a breakaway entity of the then Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina (itself seceding from SFR Yugoslavia). The Court gave six months to the RS to establish a different entity holiday.

RS authorities reacted by contesting the decision of the BiH Constitutional Court and calling for constitutional amendments within 120 days to get rid of international judges sitting in the Court, simultaneously calling for a popular referendum on whether RS citizens support the decision of the Constitutional Court. RS opposition leaders also joined RS President Milorad Dodik in contesting the decision of the BiH Constitutional Court.

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