Sarajevo, 24 December 1997
The Senior Deputy High Representative, Dr. Hanns Heinrich Schumacher today issued the following statement:“I acknowledge the intention of Mr. Kalinic, Speaker of the former, dissolved Assembly of the Republika Srpska to finally invite the deputies-elect to the inaugural session of the new RS National Assembly, to be held in Bijeljina on Saturday, 27 December 1997.
The OHR has received the invitations for the deputies-elect from the Federation, and these will be forwarded without delay.
I welcome this decision, which we consider to be in compliance with the RS National Assembly’s own procedural rules. All the relevant authorities are hereby reminded of their duty to fully support this process and ensure an unhindered and smooth functioning of the Parliamentary session. Failure to do so, including deliberate failure by deputies-elect to attend the session in an attempt to obstruct the Constitutional Process could entail appropriate action by the High Representative”.