Dodik reacts to high rep decision

Republic of Srpska (RS) Premier Milorad Dodik has lodged a protest over a decision made yesterday by the high international representative in Bosnia. Valentin Inzko on Saturday announced that he had annulled the conclusions previously adopted by the RS parliament in Banja Luka. Dodik reacts to high rep decision A statement from Dodik's office this Sunday reminds that the RS parliament is an expression of the majority will of the citizens expressed in elections, and the highest representative lawmaking and control body of the Serb entity in Bosnia. "The annulment of the RS parliament's conclusions, as an expression of the majority will of MPs, elected through the direct will of RS citizens, is contrary to modern democratic practice and aimed at stifling basic human and democratic freedoms, in an attempt to cancel the right to a different opinion," the statement said. The RS government also expressed its strongest condemnation of the implementation of the so-called Bonn powers at the disposal of the high representative, and repeated its previous position that the parliament's conclusions were neither anti-constitutional nor anti-Dayton peace agreement, and that in this particular case, there was no need for Inzko to react, especially not in order to use the Bonn powers. The government and its president personally will continue to defend the constitutional jurisdiction of the RS and will stand up against the transfer of any powers done in an unconstitutional manner, and all imposed decisions, said Dodik's office, and mentioned the Bosnia-Herzegovina Court and Prosecution as cases where agreement of the RS was missing. The government also reminded of Annex 10 of the General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which stipulates that every instance of transfer of powers requires accord from the sides, and that "no agreement of the kind was signed". Dodik will now consult with RS President Rajko Kuzmanovic and Parliament Speaker Igor Radojicic, the statement said, to ask for an urgent meeting of the leaders of all RS political parties in order to discuss the current situation. The RS government believes that the latest decision from Inzko serves to demonstrate that his office, OHR, has lost its purpose and that it should be transformed as soon as possible into a special EU representative office. Inzko's decision concerns the RS parliament's conclusions related to the information on the effects of the transfer of powers from the entity to Bosnia-Herzegovina. The conclusions were adopted on May 14, and took effect last week when they were published in the RS Official Gazette. On Sunday in Brussels, EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana voiced his "complete support" for the high representatives' move, the media in Sarajevo are reporting.

Dodik reacts to high rep decision

A statement from Dodik's office this Sunday reminds that the RS parliament is an expression of the majority will of the citizens expressed in elections, and the highest representative lawmaking and control body of the Serb entity in Bosnia.

"The annulment of the RS parliament's conclusions, as an expression of the majority will of MPs, elected through the direct will of RS citizens, is contrary to modern democratic practice and aimed at stifling basic human and democratic freedoms, in an attempt to cancel the right to a different opinion," the statement said.

The RS government also expressed its strongest condemnation of the implementation of the so-called Bonn powers at the disposal of the high representative, and repeated its previous position that the parliament's conclusions were neither anti-constitutional nor anti-Dayton peace agreement, and that in this particular case, there was no need for Inzko to react, especially not in order to use the Bonn powers.

The government and its president personally will continue to defend the constitutional jurisdiction of the RS and will stand up against the transfer of any powers done in an unconstitutional manner, and all imposed decisions, said Dodik's office, and mentioned the Bosnia-Herzegovina Court and Prosecution as cases where agreement of the RS was missing.

The government also reminded of Annex 10 of the General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which stipulates that every instance of transfer of powers requires accord from the sides, and that "no agreement of the kind was signed".

Dodik will now consult with RS President Rajko Kuzmanović and Parliament Speaker Igor Radojičić, the statement said, to ask for an urgent meeting of the leaders of all RS political parties in order to discuss the current situation.

The RS government believes that the latest decision from Inzko serves to demonstrate that his office, OHR, has lost its purpose and that it should be transformed as soon as possible into a special EU representative office.

Inzko's decision concerns the RS parliament's conclusions related to the information on the effects of the transfer of powers from the entity to Bosnia-Herzegovina. The conclusions were adopted on May 14, and took effect last week when they were published in the RS Official Gazette.

On Sunday in Brussels, EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana voiced his "complete support" for the high representatives' move, the media in Sarajevo are reporting.