Milorad Dodik, the President of Republika Srpska (RS), has announced plans to sign a law banning the activities of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) institutions within the entity after the law passes the parliamentary procedure.
On March 3, after a meeting with the President of the Croatian Democratic Union of BiH (HDZ BiH), Dragan Čović, Dodik stated, “SIPA will not be able to operate in Republika Srpska, nor will the BiH Court or Prosecutor’s Office, nor will their decisions be enforced. If they think they can, let them try.”
On February 27, the National Assembly of Republika Srpska passed the draft law prohibiting the activities of the BiH Court, Prosecutor’s Office, the State Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA), and the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council of BiH in RS. Following the parliamentary procedure, the law will be submitted to the RS Constitutional Court for review.
Dodik reiterated his claim that Bosnia and Herzegovina has no right to control the fiscal system, military, or judiciary, and that these competencies were imposed by previous High Representatives of the international community.
This move follows a ruling by the BiH Court, which sentenced Dodik to one year in prison and six years of a ban on holding public office, related to his refusal to comply with decisions by High Representative Christian Schmidt, who annulled two laws in RS, one of which was about disregarding decisions by the BiH Constitutional Court.
Dodik’s recent statements reflect continued tension between BiH’s central government and the RS entity, as well as the role of international oversight in the region.
