Politics of Republika Srpska

This article is about the politics of the Republika Srpska, one of the two entities that together comprise the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the other being the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

List of Presidents of Republika Srpska (1992-Present)

*Radovan Karadžić (7 April 1992 - 19 July 1996) (SDS)
*Biljana Plavšić (19 July 1996 - 4 November 1998) (SDS/SNS RS) "(expelled from SDS in July 1997 and formed SNS RS)"
*Nikola Poplašen (4 November 1998 - 26 January 2000) (SRS RS) "(removed by High Representative on 5 March 1999; removal enforced on 2 September 1999)"
*Mirko Šarović (26 January 2000 - 28 November 2002) (SDS) "(not recognized as president by High Representative until 16 December 2000)"
*Dragan Čavić (28 November 2002 - 9 November 2006) (SDS)
*Milan Jelić (9 November 2006 - 30 September 2007) (SNSD)
*Igor Radojičić (acting President) (1 October 2007 - 9 December 2007) (SNSD)
*Rajko Kuzmanović (9 December 2007 - Present) (SNSD)

National Assembly

The current National Assembly of Republika Srpska (Народна Скупштина Републике Српске / "Narodna Skupština Republike Srpske") is the sixth since the founding of the Republika Srpska.

*First Assembly (24 October 1991 - 14 September 1996)
*Second Assembly (19 October 1996 - 27 December 1997) "(election of 4 September 1996)"
*Third Assembly (27 December 1997 - 19 October 1998) "(election of 14 September 1997)"
*Fourth Assembly (19 October 1998 - 16 December 2000) "(election of 13 September 1998)"
*Fifth Assembly (16 December 2000 - 28 November 2002) "(election of 11 September 2000)"
*Sixth Assembly (28 November 2002 - 30 November 2006) "(election of 5 October 2002)"
*Seventh Assembly (30 November 2006 - Present) "(election of 1 October 2006)"

The political composition of the Seventh Convocation of the National Assembly of Republika Srpska (and the change in number of seats from the Sixth Convocation):

*Alliance of Independent Social Democrats 41 (+23)
*Serb Democratic Party 17 (-11)
*Party of Democratic Progress 8 (-1)
*Democratic People's Union 4 (+1)
*Party for Bosnia and Herzegovina 4 (no change)
*Socialist Party 3
*Party of Democratic Action 3 (-3)
*Serb Radical Party of the Republika Srpska 2 (-1)
*Social Democratic Party of Bosnia and Herzegovina 1 (-2)

Government

The Government of Republika Srpska is composed of the prime minister and the heads of the sixteen ministries. The National Assembly also selects two deputy prime ministers from among the ministers from different constituent peoples (Serbs, Croats, and Bosniaks) on the recommendation of the prime minister.

The law requires that eight ministers be elected from the Serb population, five from the Bosniak population, and three from the Croat population. The prime minister may also appoint one minister from among the "others" population (out of the largest constituent ethnic group).

Under the Law on Ministries adopted in October 2002, the "tasks of the administration" of Republika Srpska are carried out by ministries, republican administrative units, and republican administrative organizations.

List of Prime Ministers of Republika Srpska (1992-Present)

*Branko Đerić (22 April 1992 - 20 January 1993) (SDS)
*Vladimir Lukić (20 January 1993 - 18 August 1994) (SDS)
*Dušan Kozić (18 August 1994 - 17 December 1995) (SDS)
*Rajko Kasagić (17 December 1995 - 18 May 1996) (SDS)
*Gojko Kličković (18 May 1996 - 18 January 1998) (SDS)
*Milorad Dodik (18 January 1998 - 12 January 2001) (SNSD) (1st time)
*Mladen Ivanić (12 January 2001 - 17 January 2003) (PDP)
*Dragan Mikerević (17 January 2003 - 17 February 2005) (PDP)
*Pero Bukejlović (17 February 2005 - 28 February 2006) (SDS)
*Milorad Dodik (28 February 2006 - Present) (SNSD) (2nd time)

Ministries

*Ministry for Economy, Energy and Development
*Ministry of Finance
*Ministry of Education and Culture
*Ministry of Justice
*Ministry of Internal Affairs
*Ministry of Administration and Local Self-Governance
*Ministry of Health and Social Protection
*Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Resources
*Ministry of Transport and Communications
*Ministry of Trade and Tourism
*Ministry of Urban Planning, Civil Engineering and Ecology
*Ministry of Labor and Soldiers and Invalid Protection
*Ministry of Economic Relations and Coordination
*Ministry of Refugees and Displaced Persons
*Ministry of Science and Technology
*Ministry without Portfolio

Administrative Services

Administrative services in RS are administrative bodies within the ministries, and are established for the purpose of performing certain activities from within the sphere of activity of the administration, which, due to their nature, entirety and way of performing, require independence and special organization (administration, inspectorates, and other forms). Administrative services are under the direct supervision of the ministry to which they belong.

The following are the administrative units and the ministries to which they belong:

*Administrative Service for Geodetic and Legal-Property Issues "(responsible to the Government of Republika Srpska)"
*Administrative Service for the RS Customs "(Ministry of Finance)"
*Revenue Service "(Ministry of Finance)"
*Foreign Currency Inspectorate "(Ministry of Finance)"
*Civil Defense Service"(Ministry of Administration and Local Self-Governance)"

Administrative Organizations of RS

Administrative organizations in the RS are established for the purpose of performing professional duties and duties of the republic's administration (institutions, directorates, secretariats, agencies, commissariats, funds, centers and other forms). Administrative organizations may have the attributes of a legal entity.

Desire for a referendum

The Prime Minister of Republika Srpska Milorad Dodik began mentioning the idea for a referendum since Montenegro seceded from the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro in the May 21 independence referendum, in response to threats and calls for Republika Srpska to be abolished from Bosnian Muslim politicians in Sarajevo.

Dodik believes that a referendum is “inevitable” since Bosnia and Herzegovina has no viable future if, as he alleges, Bosnian Muslim politicians continue to attempt to dominate the state, call for the abolition of Republika Srpska, and relate to Serbs as second-class citizens. This issue has hit on many sensitive issues for both sides. The Bosnian Muslims feel that Republika Srpska is an entity based on genocide and strive to abolish it.

The former Bosnia-Herzegovina United Nations ambassador told a Sarajevo television station that US officials promised before the signing of the Dayton Agreement that a referendum for separating from Bosnia-Herzegovina will be available to the people of the RS in the future, daily Večernje Novosti writes. Sacirbey said that this is why RS Prime Minister Milorad Dodik has been forcing the issue lately.

He claimed that the US, during the peace talks at the end of the war, asked Yugoslav President Slobodan Milošević what they needed to do in order to get him to negotiate.

“Milošević asked for the Serbs in Bosnia to receive an enclave, and wanted Srebrenica, Žepa and Goražde. Milošević and then-US president Bill Clinton, US official Richard Holbrooke, and United Nations official for the former Yugoslavia Yasushi Akashi reached an agreement to give the Serbs these enclaves. The US Administration urged us to give up those zones, but none of us, not even Bosnia-Herzegovina President Alija Izetbegović or Prime Minister Haris Silajdžić, wanted to accept.” Sacirbey said. Sacirbey said that the agreement of the US on Milošević’s conditions was if not a green light, a yellow light for military actions in the region of Srebrenica.

“The second part of the agreement of the US Administration and Milošević was to allow a referendum for the secession of the Republic of Srpska and having it belong to Serbia, which Dodik insists on. It seems that Dodik and others are using this as blackmail, mostly for the State Department, where a majority of the people knows that the agreement existed, and they do not want that getting out to the public now.” Sacirbey said.

He did not want to confirm whether there was an official draft of this agreement, however.

“This was an agreement with some Americans, for the Republic of Serbia to gain the right of self-determination. I know that then-Secretary of State Madeleine Albright tried to stop that part of the agreement because she knew of the danger, not only for Srebrenica, but for the image of the USA. I do not know who currently in the State Department knows about this agreement, but I do know that it exists.” Sacirbey said.

Sulejman Tihić, the Muslim member of Bosnia’s three-man rotating state presidency, added to the tension saying that those who want to secede from Bosnia can pack up and leave, "but can’t take away an inch of Bosnian territory". Borislav Paravac, the Serb member of the state presidency, slammed back at Tihić, saying his statement was an "irresponsible and scandalous act". "Bosnia isn’t his private property," said Paravac, adding that Republika Srpska covers 49 percent of Bosnia’s territory and that Serbs are one of three constituent peoples, with equal rights. Dodik retorted that Tihić’s statement represented a drastic example of “hate and chauvinism” which will only further inflame ethnic passions in Bosnia. "In Tihić’s statement one can easily recognize an Islamic concept which sees Bosnia as its exclusive right," said Dodik. "Serbs are a constituent people in Bosnia, claim the same right to the country, and to live in it," said Dodik. The high representative of the international community in Bosnia Christian Schwarz-Schilling appealed to the leaders of all three nationalities to stop “inflammatory rhetoric”, but the quarrels continue relentlessly as the election date draws closer.