National Assembly of Republika Srpska has approved changes to a law that says the decisions of the High Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina will no longer be recognized.

During a session on June 21, MPs approved changes to the Act on the publication of laws and other regulators. The adoption of these changes was treated as a matter of urgency. Fifty-four of the 61 deputies present voted for the changes, while seven abstained.

According to the current law, legal acts in Republika Srpska come into force when they are published in the official gazette, which publishes legislation that is approved by the highest authorities, including that of the international high representative. The approved changes have removed the high representative from the list of authorities that approve legislation which is then published in the official gazette, writes REL.

This decision is being seen as part of the efforts of some officials for the secession of Republika Srpska. Also, this decision is contrary to the 1995 Dayton Agreement that ended the Bosnian war. According to this agreement, an international envoy has been installed to oversee the implementation of peace.

Serbs in the Republika Srpska entity do not recognize Christian Schmidt, who was appointed high representative in 2021, after the United Nations Security Council did not support his nomination. China and Russia have disagreed with his appointment, as he has not been confirmed by the Council, but other states have said this is not necessary.