Decentralization Key to Stability and Sustainability of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Banja Luka, Capital of Serb Republic

Serb Republic Report to  United Nations Security Council

Decentralized organization of BiH,  made by  Dayton Agreement, is essential for  its stability and sustainability and  is not an obstacle in the way of BiH to the European Union.- Says the sixth report of the Serb Republic sent a United Nations Security Council.

The report specifically emphasizes that it is necessary to make sure constitutional order guaranteed by the Dayton agreement, the progress in European integration and re-establishing the rule of law in BiH are observed.

– International consensus had been made so that BiH has to keep up its decentralized constitutional structure. U.S. and EU have recently highlighted the support of the Dayton BiH. Serb Republic welcomes this attitude and expects the words to be converted into actions – the report said.

It was pointed out that decentralization of  BiH, increases efficiency and provides Serb Republic opportunity to make reforms that would improve the economy and created conditions for rapid development in the future.

The World Bank has recently published a report on business conditions in South Eastern Europe and marked the Banja Luka, capital of Serb Republic, as one of the two cities which had made  most advances. As international observers recognized, the another entities BiH Federation had failed to carry out similar economic reforms so that the economic perspective in that entity is very bad. If Bosnia is even more centralized it would jeopardize the economic reforms in the Serb Republic  – says the report.

Serb Republic warned that the deliberate efforts of the High Representative in BiH Valentin Inzkoto increase the responsibilities of institutions in Sarajevo leads to huge loss of efficiency of administration.

– Donations and taxpayers’ money is used for the establishment and funding of unnecessary agencies at the state level to monitor and intervene in the affairs of the entities and cantons. These agencies are  imposed by decrees of the High Representative to use of unfair distribution of funds belonging to citizens of the RS. These funds go to the citizens of the FBiH and the salaries of civil servants in unnecessary agencies at the state level. Even Inzko consultant’s report for this year claims  that about 60 percent of the budget of BiH institutions are spent on ineffective, inefficient and cumbersome state apparatus – the report said, adding that the agencies at the state level do not agree to share key information with the RS and their budgets are not transparent. Decentralized power is in accordance with the conditions for EU accession, which supports BiH and its present constitutional arrangement. No one member of or candidate for EU membership has  been asked to amend their state organization from a decentralized, or federal, in the centralized. Neither of BiH it is required. The fact that the decentralized system of government is in accordance with the obligations of EU membership on a daily basis confirm the current EU members such as Germany, Spain and Belgium, Great Britain and others. In the report from Brussels, officials in charge of EU enlargement states that the Serb Republic is ahead of Federation when it comes to fulfilling the reforms necessary for European integration. Serb Republic has informed the Security Council with regard to the constitutional changes necessary to harmonize the Constitution with  European Court of Human Rights “and the Sejdic Finns verdict”  that the RS repeatedly demonstrated a willingness to comply with the verdict. As for long-term constitutional changes Serb Republic will do everything to ensure that local and international political EU accession process is not misused as an excuse for drastic constitutional changes that are essentially unnecessary and harmful to the Serb Republic and BiH. Any constitutional amendments that are required for membership in the EU must be the result of a transparent and legitimate process and agreement between local politicians with no outside interference. Any constitutional changes must preserve and protect the autonomy of entities equality of constituent peoples in BiH, the BiH Constitution guaranteed.

Serb Republic require permanently abolishment of the Office of the High Representative (OHR) and re-establishment of the rule of law.

– High Representative continues with the use of force beyond its powers  defined in Annex 10 to the Dayton Agreement. Instead of acting in accordance with its mandate, the High Representative continued to issue decrees that reversed actions of a constitutionally guaranteed legal institutions in BiH. The High Representative also continues to give itself the right to resort to illegal sanctions against individuals with no right of appeal or hearing the other side. As one of the reasons for the withdrawal of the OHR, Serb Republic report cited  is  that the High Representative continues to undermine the agreement struck between the constituent peoples in BiH .

Detrimental role of the High Representative in relation to political events in Bosnia and Herzegovina is currently reflected in the inability to reach agreement on the formation of the Council of Ministers. SDP, the largest Bosniak party, is maximalist in demands, hoping that High representative  will come to her rescue. These hopes are not without merit. The Central Election Commission annulled the decision to form the Government of the FBiH with the SDP at the helm. Thanks to the intervention of the High Representative’s decision is revoked.

Serb Republic authorities believe that after 16 years of peace is simply no justification for the presence of the High Representative in Bosnia and that a report on the activities of the EUFOR confirmed that the security situation is stable.

The High Representative, which violates human and democratic rights of citizens, hinders economic development and European Integration, and undermine an agreement between local politicians need to leave BiH – was concluded in the report.