Dodik announced RS entity withdrawal from BiH army, tax admin and judiciary

Bosnia’s Serb-dominated Republika Srpska (RS) entity will withdraw from agreements on the establishment of the state Indirect Tax Administration (ITA), Armed Forces and the state judicial institution known as the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council (HJCP), Bosnian Serb Presidency member Milorad Dodik said Friday after the meeting of his party, the Alliance of Independent Social Democrats (SNSD) which is the ruling party in this entity.

Dodik said that there is no authority that can stop these processes.

“We want to return the RS to the framework of Dayton BiH and return the competencies to everything that was done illegally, contrary to the Constitution of BiH. The RS has already formed several expert teams that will deal with issues of defence, law, the new Constitution of the RS and a key issue – the illegal decision of Valentin Inzko,” said Milorad Dodik.

The international community’s High Representative in charge of overseeing the civilian aspect of the Dayton Peace Agreement which ended the 1992-1995 war in Bosnia, Valentin Inzko, imposed a ban on genocide denial and glorification of war criminals in the country, causing fierce resistance to the decision from Serb ministers in the state government.

In response to his decision, all Serb ministers and state officials coming from the RS began boycotting the work of state institutions and bodies, grinding the country to a halt.

The only time they worked was during the session of the state government at which they adopted the decision on temporary financing of state institutions, ensuring they get paid during the boycott.

Dodik, who is the leader of the SNSD said that he would “bring everything into question.”

“The consent we gave for the Law on Defence, the HJPC and the ITA BiH will be withdrawn. Those decisions will be null and void. The RS National Assembly (entity parliament) will pass regulations and conclusions on how to regulate that,” stated Milorad Dodik.

Finally, he added that nothing would be done outside the Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina.