High Representative Valentin Inzko has submitted a Report to the Secretary General of the United Nations informing the Secretary General and the Security Council of recent actions by the authorities of Republika Srpska toward organizing a referendum on the state judicial institutions and the authorities of the High Representative, in which he elaborates why these actions are a direct violation of the Dayton Peace Agreement.
“In my capacity as the final authority regarding the interpretation of the General Framework Agreement for Peace, I have determined the Republika Srpska to be in clear breach of the Agreement,” the High Representative said, summarizing the report’s conclusions. “No one is disputing the right of the Republika Srpska to organize referenda on matters falling within the entity’s area of responsibility,” High Representative Inzko continued, “but the BiH Court and Prosecutor’s Office are institutions created to carry out the responsibilities of the BiH state, while the authorities of the High Representative are covered under international law. Both of these issues fall outside of the area of responsibility of the Republika Srpska authorities.”
“At a time when citizens living in the RS are facing difficulties related to issues which are the direct responsibility of the RS authorities – issues such as education, healthcare and job creation – the SNSD and its coalition partners in the RS have chosen to generate a crisis with the international community on matters which are outside of the entity’s area of responsibility,” High Representative Inzko noted. “Rather than focusing on addressing these concrete problems faced by citizens, the RS leadership has chosen to drive the entity into deeper crisis and isolation. This is not in the interest of the people living in the RS.”
“What is now necessary to rectify the situation is for the referendum to be put to one side without any further delay,” concluded the High Representative.
Click here for the full text of the High Representative’s report.