SRPSKA COMMITTED TO DAYTON, CONSTITUTIONAL ORDER BEING UNDERMINED BY THE OHR

BANJA LUKA, MAY 2 /SRNA/ - Republika Srpska is committed to the Dayton Agreement, the preservation of peace and stability, and the resolution of BiH’s problems through domestic dialogue, but the OHR has ravaged the constitutional order, says the 35th Report that the Republika Srpska Government submitted to the UN Security Council.

Srpska calls on UN Security Council member states to consistently support the implementation of the Dayton Agreement, BiH’s right to govern itself democratically and independently, and its federal constitutional structure. The report states that the Office of the High Representative /OHR/ has, for many years, been undermining the Dayton constitutional order by illegally governing BiH through imposed decisions and centralizing the country in clear violation of its federal structure. It emphasizes that the German bureaucrat Christian Schmidt, who falsely claims to be the current High Representative, has been especially destructive of BiH’s stability and democratic order. Notwithstanding Mr. Schmidt’s recklessness and illegal and autocratic rule by decree, Republika Srpska has taken important steps to reduce political tensions caused by Mr. Schmidt’s ill-advised edicts. "Despite this, members of the Bosniak political establishment who have never accepted Republika Srpska's existence as an autonomous Entity continue working to undermine Republika Srpska governance, eroding the rights guaranteed under the Dayton Agreement," says the Report. Still, Republika Srpska hopes its partners in BiH will engage in good-faith dialogue on the faithful implementation of the Dayton Agreement. "The allegation that Republika Srpska threatens the Dayton Agreement turns reality on its head. It is the Bosniak political parties — and their allies in the OHR and in certain foreign capitals — that have done everything they can to undermine the Dayton Agreement," says the Report. It adds that the Republika Srpska top elected officials have consistently affirmed Republika Srpska's dedication to Dayton and have recently reaffirmed that commitment in unequivocal terms. "For example, Republika Srpska President Siniša Karan recently told the Chargé d’Affaires of the US Embassy, John Ginkel, that Republika Srpska is committed to respecting the letter of the Dayton Agreement. Similarly, in a March meeting with German Ambassador Alfred Grannas, Republika Srpska Prime Minister Savo Minić reiterated the 'absolute commitment' of Republika Srpska to the provisions of the Dayton Agreement," says the Report. It emphasizes that Republika Srpska’s support for the Dayton Agreement includes a commitment to BiH’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, and constitutional order. Although there is occasionally charged rhetoric in Republika Srpska reflecting frustration with the many severe violations of the Dayton Agreement over the years, Republika Srpska has no plan to secede from BiH. Above all, Republika Srpska is inalterably devoted to peace," says the Report. Republika Srpska and its leaders have consistently ruled out all use of violence and committed to resolving BiH’s political problems solely through peaceful means. "All Republika Srpska demands is that the Dayton Agreement, including the BiH Constitution, be faithfully implemented. It is, after all, a binding international treaty, and it is long past time for it to be treated as such," reads the Report. It says that the population of BiH is composed mainly of three constituent peoples with painful histories of conflict: the predominantly Muslim Bosniaks, the predominantly Orthodox Christian Serbs, and the predominantly Roman Catholic Croats. The Report emphasizes that the Dayton Agreement was a sustainable compromise that established a constitutional order enabling BiH’s three formerly warring peoples to live together in peace and with confidence that they would not come under the domination of one or more of the other peoples. "The BiH Constitution, which is the heart of the Dayton Agreement, accomplished this by reserving all but a few governmental functions to the two Entities that make up BiH and by establishing mechanisms designed to protect the vital interests of each people. Adherence to this federal constitutional structure and these protective mechanisms is essential for BiH’s stability," reads the Report. As is the case with other multi-ethnic countries in Europe, such as Switzerland or Belgium, Dayton’s accommodations for different ethnic groups are a strength, not a weakness, and the only means by which an enduring peace can be maintained in a country with such a history.