The Republika Srpska is trying to legislate away the Western overseer of Bosnia.
The National Assembly of the Republika Srpska voted for the Declaration on the liquidation of the Office of the High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina (OHR).
The document, containing eight points, was adopted by 57 deputies out of the 60 present, reports a PolitNavigator correspondent.
The declaration was proposed by Bosnian Serb Parliament Speaker Nenad Stevandić. It emphasizes that the current "High Representative," Christian Schmidt, does not represent the international community in Bosnia and Herzegovina and is not authorized to perform functions within the jurisdiction of domestic authorities.
"All acts adopted by Schmidt, and especially all legislative acts, have no legal force in the legal system of Bosnia and Herzegovina and constitute completely invalid acts of foreign interventionism," the document states, citing the fact that the current "High Representative" was appointed by the EU in circumvention of the existing procedure for approving a candidacy in the UN Security Council, where Schmidt was opposed by Russia and China.
The declaration also contains demands for the closure of the Office of the High Representative (OHR), the cessation of its issuance of decisions binding on the country's entities, and the return of competences to these entities in accordance with the Dayton Peace Agreement.
The adopted document emphasizes that the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia requests the UN Security Council to urgently adopt a resolution terminating the mandate of the High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina and closing the Office of Human Rights. It also notes that any potential international presence in Bosnia and Herzegovina can only play an advisory and coordinating role, without the ability to impose decisions.
The High Representative is, according to the Dayton Peace Agreement for BiH, a figure of a foreign diplomat agreed upon by the UN Security Council who carries out oversight of the “international community” over the situation in the country.
He has the "Bonn powers" to introduce his own laws, repeal existing ones, and remove popularly elected representatives from their posts.
The OHR institution is resented by Bosnian Serbs and Bosnian Croats, but is supported by the Bosniak elite in Sarajevo, as it traditionally acts in their interests.
The Republika Srpska is attempting to legislate the removal of Bosnia's Western overseer.