Bosnian Serb Lawmakers Claim Right to Self-Determination

Lawmakers in Bosnia's mainly Serb entity of Republika Srpska adopted principles on Tuesday declaring the entity's right to referenda on 'self-determination' and Bosnian membership of NATO.

It also called for a new Republika Srpska constitution that, it said, would reclaim powers taken from the entity by successive international overseers since the 1992-95 Bosnian war, and called for the office of the overseer to be abolished.

The set of conclusions, adopted in the early hours of Tuesday following a marathon session that began on Monday morning, tasked the government with preparing the ground for creation of a distinct Republika Srpska VAT system, separate from the Bosnian tax system.

The conclusions were adopted with the votes of the ruling majority led by the Alliance of Independent Social Democrats of Milorad Dodik, the Serb member of Bosnia's tripartite presidency.

"The Republika Srpska does not have the right to give up on its autonomy and statehood," Dodik, who has long called for the dissolution of Bosnia, told the assembly.

The conclusions reaffirmed the Republika Srpska's opposition to Bosnia's accession to NATO, the main sticking point in negotiations to form a new Bosnian government more than a year after the country voted in a parliamentary election. Political leaders of Bosnia's Bosniak and Croat communities support eventual NATO membership.

"In the event of a violent attempt to join Bosnia and Herzegovina with NATO, Republika Srpska will hold a referendum in which citizens will decide on Republika Srpska's membership of any military alliance," the conclusions read.

Opposition MPs opposed the session as a farce, saying the conclusions would have no legal weight.

"The Bosnian Constitution leaves no room...

Continue reading on: