Redakcija
The Standing Rapporteur for Bosnia and Herzegovina in the European Parliament, MEP Paulo Rangel, expressed concern over “the series of escalatory steps” in the country and called for “disruptive activities to be urgently reversed.”
The statement comes after the National Assembly of Bosnia’s semi-autonomous Republika Srpska (RS) entity adopted a draft law that, if passed, would establish a parallel High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council (HJPC) in the entity which would operate separately from the one on the state level.
The move is the latest step in an initiative to withdraw the RS from a number of BiH institutions, which is at the centre of the ongoing political crisis.
“I am deeply concerned by the series of escalatory steps, including the Republika Srpska National Assembly’s latest vote on 10 February in favour of a law establishing a separate High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council,” Rangel said.
“This action undermines the rule of law, the legal order and the independence of the judiciary, violates the constitution and the Dayton Agreement, threatening the constitutional order of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It also further reverses the country’s path towards EU integration and the implementation of necessary reforms, defined in the 14 key priorities,” he said, referring to the reforms the European Commission defined for BiH to achieve EU candidate status.
“I call upon the political actors to urgently reverse disruptive activities, de-escalate the situation and to fully re-engage in state institutions, working to preserve peace and enhance the democratisation of the country for the benefit of Bosnian citizens,” Rangel stressed.
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