The Minister for Scientific and Technological Development and Higher Education of Republika Srpska, Željko Budimir, emphasized that the Dayton Agreement holds great importance for Republika Srpska as it serves as the cornerstone document for the political structure and legal-political framework of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH).
Budimir explained to Srna that, for some parties, the Agreement represents a transitional phase meant to be redefined with the assistance of international actors in BiH, portraying the document as outdated and advocating for new arrangements that would position them in dominance.
“Any discussion about a ‘civic BiH’ is, in essence, a unitarist narrative about a Bosniak and Islamic BiH,” said Budimir.
He noted that the Dayton Agreement marked the end of a bloody civil war and is an international treaty recognized by all major powers of the time. This treaty affirmed Republika Srpska as part of BiH with a special status.
- “What followed in BiH was an attempt to construct a BiH that neglects national, ethnic, religious, and other differences, aiming to create an artificial political community under the concept known as ‘state-building,’ primarily promoted by the Americans,” Budimir stated.
According to Budimir, this unitarization ideology has led to numerous transfers of competencies, primarily from Republika Srpska.
- “Today, the Dayton Agreement is often discussed through interpretations, institutions not outlined in the Agreement, and particularly through the Constitutional Court of BiH, which, despite being a Dayton category, has contributed significantly to violations of Annex IV of the Dayton Agreement, which is the Constitution,” Budimir pointed out.
He emphasized that the Dayton Agreement envisaged foreign judges in the Constitutional Court of BiH as a transitional measure during the post-war period until consensus on the court’s functioning was achieved.
- “Even today, foreign judges remain key players, as the Constitutional Court is not only a legal but also a political institution, given that the Constitution is the highest legal and political act,” Budimir underlined.
November 21 marks 28 years since the initialing of the General Framework Agreement for Peace in BiH and its 12 annexes, which ended the war in BiH and established its constitutional-legal framework.
This agreement created the state union of BiH, composed of two entities – Republika Srpska and the Federation of BiH – both of which are signatories to all annexes.
The Dayton Agreement was formally signed on December 14, 1995, at the Élysée Palace in Paris.
Source: RTRS
