The Law on Amendments and Supplements to the Law on Police and Internal Affairs of the RS, which provides for the introduction of an auxiliary police force, has not violated the vital national interest of the Bosniak people, the Council for the Protection of Vital Interests of the Constitutional Court of the Republika Srpska has determined.
“Having regard to the fundamental objection that the contested law changes the organization of public authority without guarantees of proportional representation of the constituent peoples, the Council assessed that the basic text of the Law on Police and Internal Affairs already prescribes the principle of national representation as mandatory, i.e. that the structure of police officers should reflect the national structure of the population according to the last census. This also includes members of the auxiliary police force, and this principle did not need to be emphasized again in the text of the contested law,” the Constitutional Court’s reasoning for its decision states.
The Law states that the Ministry may establish an auxiliary police force in cases where a large number of police officers need to be compensated for performing certain police duties.
The Law, which was adopted in an emergency procedure in early July, states that the selection of members of the auxiliary police force is carried out through a public competition, and the conditions for the application process, selection and election of candidates are prescribed by the Government in a by-law.
The Minister decides on the engagement of the auxiliary police force, upon the proposal of the Director of Police.
The Bosniak Club in the Council of Peoples of Republika Srpska vetoed this law.
