The United States has made it clear that it is prepared to respond to divisive actions and those against the Dayton Agreement by local actors in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the US Embassy in Sarajevo told Radio Free Europe on Wednesday.
The previous day, on Tuesday, the Electoral Law of the Republika Srpska (RS) – the Serbian entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina – was published in the Official Gazette of this entity.
The Electoral Law of Republika Srpska provides for the usurpation of state competencies in the field of elections. This means that the RS Republican Election Commission takes over the role of the Central Election Commission of Bosnia and Herzegovina in organizing local elections, as well as elections for the entity’s Parliamentary Assembly and for the president and vice-president of the RS.
The Parliamentary Assembly approved this law at the end of March.
The US Embassy called the creation of a parallel electoral system by the RS Government unconstitutional and contrary to the Dayton Agreement.
“All elections held under an unconstitutional parallel electoral system would lack legitimacy, and those involved in organizing them would be participating in undemocratic, unconstitutional, and anti-Dayton actions,” the US Embassy’s response to Radio Free Europe said.
The 1995 Dayton Agreement, which ended the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina, divided the country into two autonomous entities – the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Republika Srpska – plus the Brčko District, which is a self-governing administrative unit. All are under the umbrella of the federal government and the rotating presidency.
Since then, the entities do not have jurisdiction and cannot organize elections across the entire territory of Bosnia. The Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina does not grant the entities the rights to conduct elections.
All general and local elections across the territory of Bosnia, since the adoption of the Bosnia Election Law in 2001 until today, have been conducted and overseen by the Central Election Commission of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Before the adoption of the law, this task was carried out by the Provisional Election Commission, established by the Dayton Peace Agreement.
Meanwhile, local elections in Bosnia have been announced for October 6, in accordance with changes imposed on March 26 by the international high representative in Bosnia, Christian Schmidt, who oversees the implementation of the Dayton Agreement.
In October, more than 3.4 million registered voters will choose 143 mayors and city leaders in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and about 3,200 members of local assemblies.
Source: Botasot
