Constitutional Court of RS rejects Bosniak Caucus's request regarding property law, Schmidt and OHR still without reaction

(Patria) - The Council for the Protection of Vital Interests of the Constitutional Court of the Bosnian-Herzegovinian entity Republika Srpska did not accept the request of the Bosniak Caucus to determine the violation of vital national interest in the unconstitutional Law on Immovable Property Used for the Functioning of Public Authority, as it was reasoned that it was not specified.

"The subject of the Council's decision was the admissibility of the request of the Bosniak People's Delegates Caucus in the Council of Peoples of Republika Srpska, to determine the violation of the vital national interest of the constituent Bosniak people in the Law on Immovable Property Used for the Functioning of Public Authority, which was passed by the National Assembly of Republika Srpska at the session held on December 28, 2022," the Council announced.

The Council states that the reasoning of the decision does not contain reasons that can be linked to the relevant provisions of the Constitution of Republika Srpska on the protection of vital national interests of the constituent peoples, as defined by amendments to the Constitution of Republika Srpska.

With this decision, the anti-state law will come into force. However, the fight for state property does not end here. The constitutionality can be reviewed by the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina by members of the Presidency of BiH, members of the collegium of the Parliamentary Assembly of BiH, and some have already announced the submission of appeals.

What is concerning is the absence of any reaction from the OHR and High Representative Christian Schmidt, who has not yet taken any steps to protect state property and BiH as its holder after the adoption of the new law by the NSRS. In April 2022, he suspended the previous law pending a decision by the Constitutional Court of BiH.

Although he announced a few months ago that "he will do something in Republika Srpska as well," it seems that Schmidt is more concerned with himself than with his primary task.