SARAJEVO: The United States and Europe on Wednesday warned against any blockade of decision-making bodies in Bosnia’s Serb Republic, in protest at the trial of its leader Milorad Dodik.
Dodik, a nationalist and the pro-Russian leader of Republika Srpska (RS), is on trial for failing to comply with decisions made by the High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), Christian Schmidt.
The RS assembly wants its representatives to boycott votes in joint state bodies until what it claims is a “politically motivated process” against Dodik is ended.
But in a statement, the United States, Britain, Germany, France and Italy, as well as the European Union, said that was unacceptable, ran counter to the peace deal that ended the 1990s war in Bosnia, and threatened Bosnia’s EU membership ambitions.
Under the Dayton Peace Agreement of 1995, Bosnia is divided into two autonomous bodies a Bosniak-Croat federation and a Serb entity, which are connected by a weak central government, under supervision of an international high representative.
“All legislation and conclusions adopted by lower-level bodies, including the parliamentary bodies of both entities, must comply with the Constitution, in line with BiH Constitutional Court jurisprudence,” they said.
“We reiterate our support for BiH’s sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity, and multiethnic character, and for the High Representative, who holds the responsibility as the final interpreter of the civilian aspects of the DPA,” it added.
“At a time when the formal opening of EU accession negotiations has never been so close, a return to political blockades would have negative consequences for all citizens of BiH, the majority of whom support EU accession.”
The adopted RS Assembly resolutions heightened tensions between the two Bosnian regions.
Among them is one requesting Dodik, who recently underwent surgery in neighbouring Serbia, to refrain from responding to the summons of the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) until he is medically fit to participate in the proceedings.
