The establishment of a parallel High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council in Bosnia’s Republika Srpska (RS) entity would “undermine the achievements made so far in reforming the rule of law in the country and would endanger further progress in this field,” OSCE Chairman-in-Office and Foreign Minister of Poland, Zbigniew Rau, and OSCE Secretary General, Helga Maria Schmid, said in a joint statement on Friday.
The statement comes after the RS National Assembly adopted on Thursday a Draft Law on establishing the HJPC in the entity which will be discussed within the next 60 days.
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“The unilateral withdrawal from state-level institutions is against Bosnia and Herzegovina’s constitution and undermines the overall security and stability of the country. The High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council of Bosnia and Herzegovina is a fundamental safeguard in upholding the rule of law in the country. The establishment of a parallel structure at the entity level would undermine the achievements made so far in reforming the rule of law in the country and would endanger further progress in this field,” the OSCE officials said.
“The OSCE reaffirms its support for the Dayton Peace Agreement and its values. Withdrawing from the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council of Bosnia and Herzegovina would go against the letter and spirit of the Agreement, jeopardizing the independence, impartiality, and professionalism of the judiciary in Bosnia and Herzegovina, while widening the space for criminal impunity,” it said.
They urged the RS National Assembly to withdraw the law and political leaders in the country to “work together to create the conditions necessary for constructive political dialogue, for the benefit of all citizens.”
