The issue of the election of the new Council of Ministers Chairman and the adoption of Bosnia’s Annual National Programme – which would lead to the activation of the Membership Action Plan (MAP) for NATO are both a question of the rule of law, said the Bosniak member of the tripartite Presidency, Sefik Dzaferovic, in an interview doe Fena news agency.

“The basis for Bosnia’s NATO integration lies in the documents and laws in force. All those preventing Bosnia from adopting its first ANP must know that this is a matter of the rule of law,” Dzaferovic said.

After the October general election, Bosnia and Herzegovina was supposed to form its Council of Ministers and to elect the Chairman to lead it. The Chairman-designate, who is a Serb coming from the strongest Serb party, the Alliance of Independent Social Democrats (SNSD), Zoran Tegeltija, said that his priorities for the next four years would not be Bosnia’s NATO accession process.

He argued that, as a Serb, coming from Bosnia’s Serb-dominated entity of Republika Srpska (RS), he would respect the 2017 RS’ Declaration on military neutrality. This is contrary to the Constitution which says that only the Presidency and the Council of Ministers can decide on Bosnia’s foreign policy, not its lower levels of government.

Speaking to Fena, Dzaferoic said that all elected officials must respect the Constitution, the existing laws and adopted policies and that they cannot elect someone who already said he would not respect the rule of law.

Recalling all the previously adopted laws and decisions, he noted that no politician or party could simply change their political will and impose it to others. It must be approved and adopted by State institutions.

“If not, it is just an individual opinion,” he added.

According to him, Bosnian politicians must find a way to adopt this year’s and all future ANPs and elect the Council of Ministers Chairman at the same time.

The ANP is a precondition for the activation of Bosnia's Membership Action Plan (MAP) for NATO after the Alliance approved its activation for the country. But, even though Bosnia adopted a number of laws and regulations saying it will fulfil all the preconditions for the MAP, Bosnian Serbs stand against it.

When it comes to Bosnia’s NATO membership, its three largest ethnic groups stand divided on the issue. Bosnian Croats and Bosniaks support the country’s accession, while Bosnian Serbs are strictly against it, saying they will follow Serbia’s lead on this.