Serb legislators voted on Friday (December 10) to start the withdrawal of their autonomous Serb Republic from the armed forces, justice and taxation system of Bosnia. This non-binding motion aims to separate from Bosnia. Pave the way.
These three institutions represent the key pillars of Bosnia’s joint security, rule of law, and economic system. After the 1992-1995 war, Bosnia was divided into two autonomous regions-the Republic of Serbia and a federation dominated by Croats and Bosniacs.
The vote of Serbia’s regional parliament amounted to a non-binding agreement that failed to make a final decision to withdraw from these institutions-a move that requires the support of the upper house of the region.
Serbian opposition groups criticized these bills for running ahead of next year’s general election, and they left the meeting before voting.
But they are equivalent to the statement of strong intentions of the Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik, who has long complained about state institutions such as the judiciary and prosecutors, saying that these institutions were established in accordance with the decision of the international peace envoy. , Is not included in the constitution.
“This is the time to conquer freedom for the Republika Srpska,” Dodik told the parliament. “Bosnia is an experiment…I don’t believe it can survive because it has no inherent survivability.”
His SNSD party and its allies dominate the 83-seat regional councils, and they voted for the conclusion of withdrawing from these institutions with 48 votes.
The bill stated that local governments should now draft new laws on the military, taxation system, and justice within the next six months to replace state laws.
The Constitution of Bosnia was amended after the war through a ruling imposed by a special envoy and an agreement between the two regions.
Dodik is currently serving as a Serb member of the Tripartite Inter-ethnic Presidium of Bosnia. He hopes to withdraw all post-war reforms and restore the 1995 Constitution, according to which the state is governed by basic institutions only if all powers belong to the state. represent. area.
The opposition leader warned that these actions could lead the Republic of Serbia into a new war.
“I think the path you chose is dangerous for the Republika Srpska and we cannot follow you,” said Mirko Sarovic, head of the largest opposition Serb Democratic Party (SDS).
The embassies of the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Italy, as well as the EU delegation, stated in a joint statement that the parliamentary motion is “a step in further escalation.”
“Members of the ruling coalition of the Republika Srpska must be aware that continuing this dead end challenging the Dayton framework is damaging the economic prospects of the entity, threatening the stability of the country and the entire region, and endangering the future of Bosnia and the European Union,” the ambassadors said. Said in a joint statement.
The embassies of the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Italy and the EU delegation to Bosnia and Herzegovina/EU Special Representative issued a joint statement on today’s decision of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia.https://t.co/5iraV9hSUj
-The European Union of Bosnia and Herzegovina (@eubih) December 10, 2021
They are referring to the Dayton Peace Agreement that ended the Bosnian War in 1995.
