STOJANOVIĆ IS NOT DEFENDING BiH’S CONSTITUTIONAL FOUNDATIONS, BUT SUPPORTING SCHMIDT

EAST SARAJEVO, JUNE 25 /SRNA/ – Head of the SNSD Caucus in the House of Representatives of the BiH Parliamentary Assembly Sanja Vulić stated that the testimony of Federation of BiH Vice President Igor Stojanović to the State Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA) regarding Republika Srpska President Milorad Dodik may sound like a moral lesson, but in fact masks the real issue – the dismantling of BiH’s constitutional order by Christian Schmidt.

Vulić emphasized for SRNA that Schmidt, acting unilaterally and without democratic legitimacy, imposes laws and thereby usurps the powers of the BiH Parliamentary Assembly, which is the only institution legally authorized to enact legislation at the BiH level.

She reminded that according to the BiH Constitution, legislative power lies exclusively with the Parliamentary Assembly. “Nowhere in the Constitution is the High Representative even mentioned, let alone granted authority to pass or amend laws,” Vulić pointed out.

According to her, all powers attributed to the High Representative stem solely from Annex 10 of the Dayton Peace Accords, but even there, there is no legal basis for imposing legislation.

“The so-called Bonn Powers that Schmidt relies on are not a signed legal document but an informal decision by the advisory Peace Implementation Council from 1997, which has no legal force under international law,” Vulić explained.

She stated that the imposition of amendments to the BiH Criminal Code constitutes a violation of honor and reputation.

Vulić reminded that in July 2023, Schmidt imposed amendments to the Criminal Code of BiH, introducing a new offense – “violation of the reputation and honor of the High Representative” and other international officials.

She criticized the amendments as criminalizing political speech, criticism, and freedom of expression.

“For the first time in modern Europe, a law has been introduced that literally prohibits criticism of a foreign official. This is a form of legal apartheid. The penalties include imprisonment, effectively legalizing the political persecution of dissidents,” Vulić stressed.

She said this directly violates the European Convention on Human Rights, which is incorporated into the BiH Constitution and guarantees freedom of expression.

According to Vulić, while Stojanović speaks of “patriotism,” “equality,” and “moral duty,” he fails to address the core issue – who enacted this law and by what process?

“If foreign powers can shape BiH’s constitutional and criminal law without domestic institutions, then the BiH Parliamentary Assembly is meaningless, the will of voters is irrelevant, and BiH is not a sovereign state but an international protectorate,” Vulić noted.

She asserted that contrary to his claims, Stojanović is not defending BiH’s constitutional foundations but supporting their destruction by Schmidt; he is not defending equality but endorsing the unequal treatment of peoples and the suppression of free speech; he is not defending democracy but legitimizing an unelected foreigner’s imposition of laws.

“True patriotism today means defending BiH’s Constitution, demanding respect for domestic institutions, opposing illegitimate interventions by foreign officials, and advocating for the equality of all peoples through dialogue—not imposition,” Vulić said.

Earlier today, Federation Vice President Igor Stojanović gave a statement to SIPA as a witness in a criminal complaint against Milorad Dodik for what he described as Dodik’s public remarks that “offend Bosniaks, incite hatred, and deepen divisions.”