CONSTITUTIONAL COURT HAS NO ROLE IN NATIONAL MONUMENTS COMMISSION APPOINTMENTS, IT IS FOREIGN POLICY ISSUE

ISTOČNO SARAJEVO, JULY 7 /SRNA/ – The Constitutional Court of BiH has no connection with the decision on appointing members of the Commission to Preserve National Monuments because the matter falls within the definition of foreign policy, legal expert Damir Sakić told SRNA.

Sakić noted that, in its own constitutional case law, the Constitutional Court of BiH has taken the legal position that it will not provide a definition of foreign policy.

"The Constitutional Court adopted this position in decision U-15/08 and stated that it would leave the matter to the legislature," Sakić explained.

According to Sakić, for the Constitutional Court to rule on the issue, it would first have to provide a definition of foreign policy.

"Since it will not do so, the matter has nothing to do with the Constitutional Court," Sakić said, commenting on the statement by BiH Presidency member Denis Bećirović that, after the Republika Srpska National Assembly today upheld the veto of the Serb member of the BiH Presidency, Željka Cvijanović, against the decision on appointing members of the Commission to Preserve National Monuments of BiH, he would initiate proceedings before the BiH Constitutional Court.

Sakić stressed that only the Secretariat of the BiH Presidency is authorized to interpret the Presidency's Rules of Procedure and deal with the issue.

"During the session at which the decision was adopted and the Serb member of the Presidency was outvoted, the Secretariat clearly, precisely and unequivocally stated that this issue falls within the sphere of foreign policy," Sakić concluded.