Politics of Bosnia and Herzegovina

The plan to hold the referendum in Bosnia's Serb-dominated Republika Srpska entity - widely criticised as potentially divisive - appeared to be in disarray after only representatives of the ruling coalition turned up for a meeting on the issue called by President Milorad Dodik on Friday.

Bosnian Serb parties are feuding over 35 million euros that Russia has offered to Republika Srpska, to clear its share of the foreign debt that Bosnia owed the old USSR.

The total debt Bosnia owes the Soviet Union is about 125.2 million US dollars [around 110 million euros].

The chief prosecutor of Bosnia-Herzegovina has confirmed that his office is investigating RS President Milorad Dodik in connection with the Pavlovic Bank.

"The investigation is conducted within the 'Pavloviv Bank' (case). Three or four investigations against Dodik have been closed," Goran Salihovic has told the Sarajevo-based daily Oslobodjenje.

Confirmation that Milorad Dodik, President of Republika Srpska and leader of the ruling Alliance of Independent Social Democrats, SNSD, is being investigated in connection with a failed bank will have an impact on the local elections due in October, experts say.

A joint investigation by the Republika Srpska Tax Administration and police has found alleged evidence implicating the US-based lobbyist, Stefan Karganovic, in possible tax evasion and embezzlement of government funds, officials have said.

Republika Srpska police estimate that the lobbyist, who is of Serbian origin, owes the entity 53,000 euros in unpaid taxes.

The authorities in Republika Srpska will increase the electricity price from May 1, but experts and opposition parties have argued that this will cause problems for impoverished consumers and claim that the electricity sector in the entity has long been mismanaged.

Months ahead of important local elections, Milorad Dodik, President of Bosnia's Serb-dominated entity and leader of its main ruling Alliance of Independent Social Democrats, SNSD, has outraged Bosniaks [Bosnian Muslims] and Bosnian Serbs alike by naming a student dorm after the Bosnian Serb war-crimes suspect Radovan Karadzic.

Serbia and the Serb Republic (RS) will together mark the 75th anniversary of the establishment of the Independent State of Croatia (NDH) and of Jasenovac.

Beta agency reported this on Friday, saying that the announcement was made by Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic after this meeting in Belgrade with Milorad Dodik, the president of the Serb entity (RS) in Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Divergences on Bosnia's foreign policy priorities are growing between the Bosnian government and Republika Srpska, the country's Serb-dominated entity, experts say.

"Although Republika Srpska is just an entity inside Bosnia, they have different perceptions of their foreign policy goals," Sead Turcalo, a political sciences professor in Sarajevo, told BIRN on Monday.

Serb Republic (RS) Presiden Milorad Dodik has met in Banja Luka with Serbian Ambassador to Bosnia-Herzegovina Stanimir Vukicevic.

On that occasion he reiterated that the Serb entity, RS, is "committed to Bosnia's application to be granted EU candidate status."