Deputies of the National Assembly of Republika Srpska will continue their regular session tomorrow by considering a declaration on the closure of the Office of the High Representative, proposed by Assembly Speaker Nenad Stevandić.
According to the declaration, if the High Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina continues to possess the so-called Bonn powers, Republika Srpska reserves the right to use all legal and political means to protect its interests and constitutional position within BiH.
The declaration also calls on competent institutions to annul all decisions imposed by Christian Schmidt and Valentin Inzko, and to begin the process of restoring all competencies that were, according to the document, unconstitutionally taken away from the entities in BiH.
Dragan Dakić, advisor to the Speaker of the National Assembly on international law, stated during RTRS’s morning program that the ultimate goal is the closure of the OHR office.
“What we have witnessed during the implementation of Annex 10 of the Dayton Peace Agreement is a deviation from its original purpose, because the OHR behaves as a permanent institution. It acts as a ruler and as a domestic authority,” Dakić said.
He stressed that the OHR was intended to remain in BiH only temporarily.
“Now the time has come for such an institution to be eliminated from the legal order,” Dakić stated.
He added that consultations regarding the text of the declaration are still ongoing.
“Republika Srpska has consistently insisted on the closure of the OHR. Even if a new High Representative is appointed, it is crucial that the mandate be time-limited. We expect the temporary nature of this institution to finally be respected,” Dakić said.
He emphasized that original constitutional competencies must be returned to the institutions of Republika Srpska and BiH.
“This is an extremely complex diplomatic, legal, and political process. We must have confidence in the people leading this process on behalf of Republika Srpska,” Dakić stated.
He added that the situation has now matured for BiH to develop without foreign protectorate rule.
“Republika Srpska never accepted foreign governance. We only sought assistance in the implementation of the Dayton Agreement,” Dakić concluded.
Source: RTRS
