Aleksandar Vulin, former minister in the Serbian Government and former head of the Serbian intelligence service, has become a new member of the Senate of Republika Srpska, by the decision of the president of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

As reported by the Srna agency, Vulin, “based on the Constitution of Republika Srpska and the Law on the Senate”, has been appointed a senator starting from December 1. This decision, according to the announcement, will be published in the Official Gazette of Republika Srpska.

The decision to appoint Vulin has not yet been published in the Official Gazette or on the website of the president of Republika Srpska.

Vulin, who held several positions in the last decade, such as the director of the Office for Kosovo in the Serbian Government and the Minister of Defense and Internal Affairs, resigned from the position of the director of the Security and Information Agency (BIA) on November 3.

The Serbian politician, who leads the Socialist Movement party and has been included in the U.S. sanctions list since July, due to suspicions of corruption, involvement in drug trafficking, and ties to Russia.

After the announcement of sanctions against Vulin, Dodik, who is also under U.S. sanctions, supported him, stating that it was “a reward for his patriotism and steadfastness in maintaining friendly relations with Russia and the Russian people”.

In 2020, as the Minister of Defense of Serbia, Vulin received the Order of the Flag of Republika Srpska with a golden wreath in Banja Luka for “his contribution to the overall development of relations between Serbia and Republika Srpska”.

What are the competencies of the RS Senate?

The Senate of Republika Srpska is an advisory body established by the entity’s Constitution since 1992, and its work is regulated by the Law on the Senate since 1997.

The President of Republika Srpska appoints senators, who can be up to a maximum of 55 in number, and their mandate lasts for seven years. Senators are selected as “prominent figures in public, scientific, and cultural life”, as stated in the Constitution.

Members of the Senate assembly in 2017 include, among others, director Emir Kusturica, Russian historian Elena Guskova, the bishop of Düsseldorf and all of Germany, Grigorije Durić, former and current politicians, as well as businessmen from Republika Srpska.