RESPECT FOR CULTURAL, RELIGIOUS AND ETHNIC HERITAGE OF SERBS REQUESTED

BANJALUKA, JULY 7 /SRNA/ - The National Assembly of Republika Srpska rejects any attempts to impose some Bosnian identity, cultural, historical, religious and ethnic qualification, and demands respect for the cultural, historical, religious and ethnic heritage of the Serb people in BiH, in accordance with Article 6 of Annex 8 of the Dayton Agreement, according to the conclusions adopted in connection with the veto of the Serb member of the BiH Presidency Željka Cvijanović, which was supported.

Among the 10 adopted conclusions is the one in which it is assessed that the provisions of the Constitution of BiH were flagrantly violated during the decision-making in the Presidency of BiH on the appointment of members of the Commission for the Preservation of National Monuments, as well as that the members of the Presidency of BiH from among the Bosniak and Croat people violated the Rules of Procedure of the Presidency. In one of the conclusions, it is stated that the National Assembly, in the event of the continuation of illegal activities by the Bosniak and Croat members of the Presidency of BiH in the process of appointing members of the Commission for the Preservation of National Monuments, will not accept the legitimacy of the Commission thus formed, and that it will require the competent institutions of Srpska to take all available legal and institutional measures within their competences to prevent the production and recognition of the legal consequences of the illegal actions of the Commission thus formed in the legal system of the Republic. In the conclusions, it is emphasized that the National Assembly rejects any attempts to redefine, appropriate or challenge the right of the Serb people and the Serbian Orthodox Church to preserve, protect, use, present and authentically interpret their own tangible and intangible cultural and historical heritage in this area. "The National Assembly calls on UNESCO to remain consistent with its mission of protecting the world cultural heritage and not to allow itself to be involved in political processes and unilateral activities that violate the constitutional order of BiH, the provisions of Annex 8 of the Dayton Agreement, and the equality of the constituent peoples. The National Assembly appeals to UNESCO not to participate in the political initiatives of any national or political group in BiH, nor in attempts to, beyond its mandate, get involved in issues of urban planning, spatial planning, issuing permits and building processes, which is not part of its basic mission nor the purpose of its engagement in BiH," states the fifth conclusion. The National Assembly condemns the attempts of a Bosniak member of the Presidency of BiH to mislead UNESCO and its Director General in the process of appointing members of the Commission for the Preservation of National Monuments. The following conclusion requires that the procedure for appointing members of the Commission for the Preservation of National Monuments be returned to the legal framework, as well as that the future composition of the Commission reflects the realized principle of transfer of responsibility in this matter to domestic institutions, in accordance with Article 9 of Annex 8 of the General Framework Agreement for Peace in BiH. "The National Assembly condemns any action of the Commission for the Preservation of National Monuments that goes beyond the scope of competences established by Annex Eight of the General Framework Agreement for Peace in BiH, especially actions that, under the auspices of deciding on the status of national monuments, take over, limit or condition the competences of Srpska and its institutions in the field of cultural and historical heritage protection, spatial planning, management and disposal of property, issuing permits, approving interventions and other areas not entrusted to the Commission by Annex 8. The National Assembly demands a consistent application of Annex 8 and abandoning the practice of introducing terms, categories, procedures and activities that do not have a legal basis in the annex," states the eighth conclusion. The National Assembly calls on the Government of Srpska, competent ministries, the Republic Institute for the Protection of Cultural, Historical and Natural Heritage, the Office of the Attorney General, local self-government units and other competent institutions and institutions to, within their constitutional and legal competences, strengthen institutional cooperation, exchange of information and professional support to the representative from Srpska in the Commission for the Preservation of National Monuments, for the purpose of systematic monitoring of the Commission's actions and decisions in relation to national monuments, timely determination and prevention of departure from the scope of competences established in the Annex 8, and the protection of Serb jurisdiction, the rights of owners and holders of rights to goods, as well as the cultural, historical, religious and identity heritage of the Serbian people and the Serbian Orthodox Church. "The National Assembly puts the Government of Srpska in charge, and calls on other competent institutions of the Republika Srpska to, each within their competences, carry out an analysis of the legal and factual consequences of the acts and activities of the Commission for the Preservation of National Monuments related to national monuments on the territory of the Republic, especially in cases of suspicion that the Commission has gone beyond the scope of its competence established in Annex 8, encroached on the competence of the Republika Srpska and its institutions in the area of ​​protection of cultural and historical heritage, spatial planning, management and disposal of property or produced other legal and factual consequences without a clear legal basis, and to undertake available legal and institutional measures in order to eliminate the identified irregularities and protect the rights and competences of the Republic. The conclusions were supported by the parliamentary clubs of SNSD, SDS, PDP, SP, NPS-DNS, United Srpska, and SPS.