US Accuses Bosnian Serb Leader Of Flouting Peace Deal With New Law

The US accused Bosnia's Serb leader Milorad Dodik of undermining a landmark peace agreement on Friday, after the controversial figurehead greenlit a law targeting the Balkan country's international envoy

Sarajevo (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 7th Jul, 2023 ) :The US accused Bosnia's Serb leader Milorad Dodik of undermining a landmark peace agreement on Friday, after the controversial figurehead greenlit a law targeting the Balkan country's international envoy.

The accusation came after Dodik signed the piece of legislation into law in a high-stakes showdown with Christian Schmidt -- Bosnia's international envoy who oversees the civilian aspects of the peace deal that ended the country's 1992-1995 war.

The law signed by Dodik on Friday effectively allows for the country's Serb entity -- known as Republika Srpska (RS) -- to bypass or ignore decisions made by the envoy.

The US embassy in Sarajevo later slammed Dodik's passage of the law, calling the move: "unconstitutional and a deliberate attack on the Dayton Peace Agreement".

The Kremlin ally -- currently under US sanctions -- is president of RS.

Dodik, however, appeared defiant and lashed out at Schmidt in a letter sent to his office on Friday afternoon.

"The high representative in Bosnia does not exist and it is disgusting and illegal to misrepresent yourself," wrote Dodik.

The law was the latest in a series of inflammatory political moves engineered by the RS president -- who has long campaigned for secession from Bosnia.

Dodik has also vowed to sign a second piece of legislation into law soon that suspends RS's recognition of rulings made by the Bosnia constitutional court, after the Serb entity's parliament approved the measure last month.

- 'Ready to sacrifice' - Dodik's signing of the first bill comes just days after Schmidt tried to head off the controversial moves by passing an executive order that deems them illegal and prevents their implementation.

Schmidt made the ruling last weekend when he also passed a new measure that would allow Bosnia's judiciary to prosecute politicians who oppose his orders and those of the constitutional court -- with punishments running up to five years' imprisonment.

As the international envoy, Schmidt has vast powers, which includes the ability to sack elected officials and impose laws but has rarely invoked them.

Dodik, however, has refused to recognise Schmidt's authority, since the position lost the backing of the United Nations thanks to an intervention by Russia and Beijing.

Earlier this week, Dodik vowed to continue opposing the envoy.

"I am ready to sacrifice and I am ready to go to the end because I have no choice," said Dodik.

Bosnia has been governed by a dysfunctional administrative system created by the Dayton Agreement that succeeded in ending the conflict in the 1990s, but largely failed in providing a framework for the country's political development.

In accordance with the agreement, Bosnia has been divided into two bodies -- a Muslim-Croat federation and Republika Srpska. The two entities are connected by a weak central government.

Tensions have been mounting in recent weeks in Bosnia as Dodik has pressed ahead with his secessionist threats.

Denis Zvizdic -- the speaker of the house of representatives of the Bosnia's central parliament, described this latest act by Dodik as a "creeping coup".

"By signing this decree, he knowingly engaged in a criminal act," said Zvizdic.