OHR Condemns SDA's Initiative

(Patria) - The announcement of an initiative to challenge the name of Republika Srpska before the Constitutional Court of BiH, amidst discussions on forming the government, is irresponsible and counterproductive, and further undermines trust among the constituent peoples and their political representatives, the OHR announced.

The Office of the High Representative called on political parties to refrain from further polarizing moves and rhetoric, and to constructively engage in the fastest possible formation of government at all levels.

The OHR stated that Bosnia and Herzegovina consists of two entities, and the Peace Implementation Council Steering Board continuously expresses its commitment to the fundamental structure of Bosnia and Herzegovina as a single, sovereign state consisting of the aforementioned two entities.

The SDA previously announced that the long-standing practice of the authorities of the Republika Srpska entity has shown that the current name of the RS entity has been intensively and effectively used for the purpose of discrimination and exclusion of the other two constituent peoples - Bosniaks and Croats, and that the party will request the Constitutional Court of BiH to review the constitutionality of the name Republika Srpska.