Bosnian Serb Representatives Allowed To Rejoin Central Institutions

The Serb representative to Bosnia's tripartite presidency, Milorad Dodik, has said the Srebrenica genocide "did not take place" and has refused to work with "Bosnian institutions" since a ban on genocide denial was instituted. (file photo)

The parliament of Bosnia-Herzegovina's Serb-dominated entity -- Republika Srpska -- has voted to allow Bosnian Serb representatives to retake their place in the central state institutions, on condition that they represent decisions adopted by the Serb entity's governing bodies.

Under the 1995 Dayton accords that ended the three-year Bosnian War, the Balkan country consists of two entities -- Republika Srpska and the Bosniak-Croat Federation -- and has a central government that ties both together in a fragile state.

Bosnian Serb political representatives in July announced a boycott of all central institutions in the country over a decision by the outgoing UN high representative for Bosnia to ban genocide denial related to the 1995 Srebrenica massacre in which some 8,000 Muslim men and boys were slaughtered by Bosnian Serb forces.

The Serb representative to Bosnia's tripartite presidency, Milorad Dodik, has said the Srebrenica genocide "did not take place" and has refused to work with "Bosnian institutions" since the ban was instituted.

On February 1, Bosnian Serb lawmakers decided to reverse the boycott and allow Bosnian Serb representatives to attend sessions of the central institutions -- parliament, government, and tripartite presidency.

They also called for all the decisions of the central institutions to be submitted for review to the lawmakers of Republika Srpska.

The Bosnian Serb legislators also adopted a motion calling on Republika Srpska's representatives elected to the central parliament of Bosnia to propose a bill banning the abuse of the term genocide and said that the initial reason for the boycott declared in July has not disappeared.