SERB GENERALS TOLD HELEZ: MINISTER'S COMPETENCES ARE UNDER CONTROL AND COMMAND OF BiH PRESIDENCY

EAST SARAJEVO, MAY 9 /SRNA/ - Serb generals of the BiH Armed Forces reminded the Minister of Defence in the Council of Ministers Zukan Helez that, in accordance with the Law on Defence of BiH, all organisational, administrative and command competences of the minister are under the supreme command and control of the Presidency of BiH, not under the individual activity of the minister.

Serb generals of the Armed BiH Forces sent an open letter to Minister Helez, which SRNA posts entirely:

"Dear Mr. Helez,

We, the generals of the BiH Armed Forces of Serb ethnic background follow with deep concern your decisions and public statements, which seriously threaten the professionalism and cohesion of the Ministry of Defence and the Armed Forces of BiH for a long period of time.

Your recent attempt to, by referring to the Criminal Code of BiH and the judicial institutions, prevent the presence of legitimate political representatives of Republika Srpska at an activity that represents the preservation of the identity, tradition and culture of remembrance of the Serb people, for the implementation of which you previously signed the decision and approved the implementation plans, we perceive as a discriminatory attitude towards the members of one of the three constitutive peoples in BiH, which, among other things, is prohibited by the Code of Ethics in the Ministry of Defence and the Armed Forces.

We remind you that, in accordance with the Law on Defence of BiH, all organisational, administrative and command competencies of the minister are under the supreme command and control of the Presidency of BiH, not under the individual activity of the minister.

Your action does not only offend the members of the Armed Forces of BiH of Serb ethnic background, but generally disrupts relations in the defence system.

With your position, we expect you to protect the Armed Forces from the harmful influence of daily politics, and to enable us to perform our tasks professionally in accordance with the Law on Defence and the Law on Service in the Armed Forces of BiH, which includes the marking of regiment day.

We call on you to respect the legal competences of the Presidency of BiH, as the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, the complexity of the defence system and the legal rights of the members of the Armed Forces regiments to inherit the identity and military heritage of the constituent peoples when passing executive acts.

The letter was signed by Colonel General Gojko Knežević, Chief of the Joint Staff of the Armed Forces of BiH, Brigadier General Radovan Jović, Deputy Commander of the Resource Support Command, Brigadier General Nebojša Bošnjak, Deputy Commander of the Operational Command for Operations, Brigadier General Milorad Krajšumović, Commander of the Sixth Infantry Brigade.