Displaying the flag of Republika Srpska (RS) entity in the stateroom of Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina violates the state laws, said Bosnia's Presidency member, Sefik Dzaferovic, reacting to the decision of his colleague, Presidency Chairman, Milorad Dodik, to add the entity next to the state flag in an official meeting.

“According to the Law on Flag, only the insignia of Bosnia and Herzegovina can be displayed at places where Bosnia and Herzegovina is presented. This will be entered in the record and the law enforcement agencies will be informed about it. This means the breach of the law,” Dzaferovic said.

Dodik, the Serb member of Bosnia's tripartite Presidency and the first member to take the rotating chairmanship in this term, met on Friday with newly appointed Ambassador of Serbia in Sarajevo Presidency office. He put up the RS flag next to the flag of Bosnia and Herzegovina in this meeting which, according to Dzaferovic, was contrary to law.

“I was informed that the Presidency Secretariat prepared today's meeting in line with the law,” Dzaferovic told media later on Friday, pointing out that the flag in question was put in the stateroom by Dodik's cabinet staff.

Dodik thinks there was nothing wrong with what he did. In his Friday address, he said the RS flag was legal and legitimate, and that it will be displayed anywhere he is.

Prior to his press conference, Dzaferovic and the Croat member of the state Presidency, Zeljko Komsic, issued a joint statement, saying that the Presidency Chairman violated Article 5 of the Law on Flag and ignored the clear instructions of the Protocol Service.

“Presidency members Komsic and Dzaferovic will not tolerate irresponsibility, arrogance and violation of the law which the Presidency Chairman Milorad Dodik demonstrated today”, said the statement, which announced the law enforcement agencies will be urged to take measures against breach of the law. 

Bosnia's state Presidency consists of three members, each representing three major groups in the country. The Bosniak and the Croat members are elected in the Federation (FBiH) entity, while RS entity elects the Serb member.

The current composition of the Presidency was sworn in on November 20 after they were elected in the October 7 general election.