Bosnian Defence Official Fired Over Serb Troop Display

Bosnia's House of Representatives voted on Thursday to dismiss deputy defence minister Sead Jusic, who was accused of breaching the law for agreeing to allow a Bosnian Army presence at January's anniversary celebration of the establishment of Bosnia's Serb-dominated entity Republika Srpska despite a Constitutional Court ban.

Lawmakers however rejected proposals to sack Defence Minister Marina Pendes and her other deputy, Boris Jerenic.

Jusic personally signed off a request for the troops's attendance at the banned Day of Republika Srpska which was submitted by the Serb member of Bosnia's tripartite presidency, Mladen Ivanic, while Pendes was on holiday.

Jusic said he was "surprised" by the outcome of the vote, according to local news website Klix.

"I think I served my office in accordance with the laws in place," he said.

After the January 9 celebration was ruled unconstitutional by the Constitutional Court, state institutions and the United Nations warned that any Bosnian Army presence at the event would be illegal.

The troop presence at the banned Serb event caused outrage among many Bosnian politicians, particularly Bosniaks.

The request for the replacement of Pendes and both her deputies came from leftist opposition parties the Social Democratic Party and the Democratic Front on February 16.

They argued that the request for the troops' presence could only be made by the presidency as a whole - meaning with support from the Bosniak and Croat presidency members.

The defence ministry had illegally agreed to a request from just the Serb presidency member, they said.

The actions of Pendes, Jusic and Jerenic were highly detrimental to the reputation of the country's armed forces, they further alleged.

Continue reading on: