Cvijanovic asks UNSC to vote on Schmidt’s appointment in BiH

Cvijanovic blamed Christian Schmidt for the problems in BiH.
“Today, the balance has been disrupted by irresponsible foreign interventions. I will begin with the rule of law: Annex 10 is clear — the High Representative must be approved by the UN Security Council. That did not happen in the case of Mr. Schmidt. He is acting on the basis of the so-called Bonn Powers, which are not established in any international instrument.

Annex 10 is clear about the mandate of the High Representative — he does not have the authority to impose laws or change the constitution. Yet that is exactly what Schmidt is doing. He is at the very heart of the crisis in BiH, the culmination of which we are witnessing today.”

She then listed the decisions Schmidt has made, which she said aim to intimidate dissenters.

“No legal system, domestic or international, can survive if the interpretation of the law is removed from the law itself. He unilaterally suspended the Constitution of the Federation of BiH in order to impose a government he preferred. He bypassed parliamentary procedure and intervened in the election law — and that has nothing to do with Republika Srpska. He extended the mandate of the Central Election Commission without legal authorization. He amended the criminal code to eliminate a representative of RS from political life, someone who is fulfilling their obligations. The aim was to intimidate other officials as well.”

“This is not the Dayton Agreement — this is a dictatorship. It has turned into a system of oppression. As a result, we now have a polarized BiH that can hardly survive. Our goal is not to divide BiH, but to preserve the legality established by the Dayton Agreement. The National Assembly of RS adopted a law to protect its rights under Dayton,” Cvijanovic said.

She then called on the Security Council to organize a vote on the status of Christian Schmidt.

“The current crisis did not originate in RS — it was triggered by Schmidt, who burdened the country with numerous impositions. These unlawful interventions are entirely one-sided.

BiH needs a legal reset. I call on the Council to take urgent steps to organize a vote on Schmidt’s confirmation. If you do not vote him in, then let us find a person who will be confirmed in accordance with Annex 10.”