There will be no registration of non-governmental organizations as agents of foreign influence in the Republika Srpska. At the last session, the Government of the RS decided to withdraw from the parliamentary procedure the Proposal of the Law on the Special Register and Publicity of the Work of Non-Profit Organizations, which prescribed it. This legal solution was criticized by the EU and other international organizations, considering it an attempt to limit the work of the civil sector and an obstacle on BiH’s European path. The EU delegation welcomed the withdrawal of the law from the procedure.
That something unusual is happening with the so-called The Law on Foreign Agents was clear when it was moved to the end of the agenda of the National Assembly session. The wall of silence about the fate of the law was broken just before the start of the debate on the proposal.
MILOŠ BUKEJLOVIĆ, Minister of Justice of the RS
I hereby inform you that the Government of the RS, in accordance with Article 203 paragraph 3 of the Rules of Procedure of the National Assembly, withdraws the Law on the Special Register and Publicity of the Work of Non-Profit Organizations from the parliamentary procedure.
The capitulation of the authorities was won and a great victory over the suppression of public speech and action, says MP Đorđe Vučinić. He is not surprised that he did not receive an explanation of the Government’s procedure at the parliamentary session.
ĐORĐE VUCINIĆ, List for justice and order
I think that the minister in charge, Mr. Bukejlović, had no idea why that famous law was proposed, let alone know why the Government gave up on it, so I think that there are foreigners in everything who, I believe, pulled the ruling coalition by the ears, first of all Milorad Dodik, who was the only and knew why that proposal was submitted to the deputies and why it was withdrawn.
It was from the entity president that the only explanation for withdrawing the law “minute to 12” came. The law has been withdrawn for additional harmonization and will be returned to the procedure in due course, wrote Milorad Dodik on the X network.
MILORAD DODIK, President of the RS
“Certain objections are visible, and they concern European norms, and since the Republika Srpska is committed to the European path, we agreed to withdraw it and additionally harmonize it with the laws that some European countries have and apply in order to harmonize it with European legal practice.”
It is interesting to refer to European regulations after the statement of the Ministry of European Integration and International Cooperation on compliance previously stated that no binding sources of EU law relevant to the subject of the law have been established. For representatives of the civil sector, the draft law was hideous, and it was withdrawn due to several factors, including foreign influence.
STEFAN BLAGIĆ, Association Restart Srpska
The third thing was some internal pressure and the civil sector that reacted to these things, which is quite normal because you don’t need to label anyone. and to restrict freedom of thought and freedom of action as much as possible.
It is interesting that, apart from the proponents, the representatives of international organizations who have publicly advocated abandoning the law on foreign agents are the least vocal so far, BHRT writes.
