BiH Foreign Minister Elmedin Konaković has committed what amounts to a “brutal and flagrant disregard” of the BiH Constitution, according to legal expert, former president of the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council (HJPC), and adviser to the President of Republika Srpska Milan Tegeltija.
“A decision to declare a member of a foreign country’s diplomatic or consular mission persona non grata can be made solely and exclusively by the body authorized to make foreign policy decisions, and that is the BiH Presidency,” Tegeltija said.
He added that the foreign minister and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs have, in such cases, only the role of communicating to the foreign country a decision that may have been adopted by the BiH Presidency.
“In this case, the BiH Presidency did not adopt any decision declaring any member of the Republic of Serbia’s diplomatic and consular mission persona non grata. Konaković therefore abused his position and exceeded the limits of his authority by making a decision he was not authorized to make and which falls exclusively within the jurisdiction of the BiH Presidency,” Tegeltija said.
He argued that Konaković’s decision consequently has no legal effect.
“Such a ‘quasi-decision’ by Konaković has no legal effect whatsoever, other than serving his election campaign purposes and demonstrating his complete lack of interest in respecting the Constitution of the country to which he claims such loyalty,” Tegeltija concluded.
Source: RTRS
