The Bosniak Delegates’ Club in the Council of Peoples of Republika Srpska initiated the mechanism of protection of vital national interest on the Law on Amendments to the Criminal Code of Republika Srpska, which was adopted by the National Assembly of Republika Srpska (NSRS) under emergency procedure at the last special session.
The President of the Club of Delegates of the Bosniak People, Alija Tabaković, confirmed to Fena that the veto had been initiated, and that the Council of Peoples of the RS would make a statement about it at the session scheduled for tomorrow.
At the beginning of July, the National Assembly of the Republic of Srpska adopted the Law on Amendments to the Criminal Code, which, among other things, prescribes a prison sentence of up to three years for publicly highlighting, displaying, wearing, producing, duplicating or putting into circulation flags, symbols, signs, greetings or slogans that, according to the legal text, promote or glorify the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Also, it is stipulated that public promotion or glorification of Ustasha and the Ustasha ideology of the Independent State of Croatia, as well as highlighting the symbols and signs that promote this ideology, will be punishable by imprisonment for up to three years.
The law foresees a prison sentence of two to five years if such behavior causes riots, violence, harassment of the public or other serious consequences for the common life of the people and others living in the RS.
The Club of Delegates of the Bosniak People states in the explanation of the request that it believes that the proposed provisions encroach on the vital national interest of the Bosniak people, stressing that the symbols of the Army of the Republic of BiH represent part of its historical identity and culture of memory.
“The solutions are not in accordance with the constitutional order of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the legal continuity of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina,” claim the Club of Delegates of the Bosniak People of the RS.
If the Council of Peoples of the RS does not accept the request for the protection of the vital national interest, the procedure continues before the Joint Commission of the NSRS and the Council of Peoples of the RS.
If even then no agreement is reached, the matter will be decided by the Constitutional Court of the RS, or its Council for the Protection of Vital Interests.
