The Deputy Speaker of the House of Peoples of the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Nikola Špirić, stated that there is no other option but for the appointed and elected representatives of Republika Srpska from the Serb people in Bosnia and Herzegovina’s joint institutions to respect the conclusions of the National Assembly.
“It is not up to us to comment on the conclusions of the National Assembly but to implement them,” Špirić told Srna, reminding that Serb delegates in the House of Peoples were elected by the National Assembly of Srpska.
Špirić emphasized that the National Assembly debated and adopted the conclusions because it assessed that there were valid reasons for doing so.
“Whether the National Assembly will amend or supplement these conclusions, I do not know,” Špirić added.
He pointed out that during the debate, there were indications that the National Assembly might propose amendments to the Criminal Code, which would classify non-compliance with its decisions as a criminal offense.
“Even without such provisions, I believe we are obliged to implement the decisions and conclusions of the National Assembly. The House of Peoples will enforce the conclusions, and for that reason, we will not comment on them. It is not our role to comment but to act in accordance with the conclusions,” Špirić stressed.
The deputy speaker said he sees nothing wrong with political debates regarding the proposed laws on border services and data protection, which have been submitted for parliamentary procedure. However, he believes that the conclusions of the National Assembly have caused a kind of hysteria in the other part of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which is not constructive.
“So far, whenever there has been any doubt, we have sought opinions from the relevant ministries, the Government of Republika Srpska, and even committees of the National Assembly. I don’t think anything problematic will occur if the National Assembly, through its competent committees, provides clarification, especially regarding jurisdiction,” Špirić explained.
He added that, based on what he has seen and heard in the debate so far, there is no transfer of jurisdiction.
“We are awaiting confirmation from the committees of the National Assembly of Republika Srpska before we review these laws in both chambers of the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina. I hope it won’t take long for these laws to become the subject of debate in the National Assembly, after which we will deliberate on them, first in the House of Representatives and then in the House of Peoples, as the procedures dictate,” Špirić concluded.
The National Assembly of Srpska adopted conclusions, proposed by the caucuses of SNSD, NPS-DNS, DEMOS-SPS, SP, and US, regarding the erosion of the legal order in Bosnia and Herzegovina through violations of the Dayton Peace Agreement, unlawful actions of high representatives, and anti-Dayton activities of the Constitutional Court, the Court, and the Prosecutor’s Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Source: RTRS
