Deputy speaker of Bosnia's Republika Srpska (RS) entity Council of Peoples Mihnet Okic told N1 Monday that the Bosniak Caucus would raise the issue of the vital national interest within the set deadline, regarding the last two laws passed by the RS National Assembly.

On Friday, the RS National Assembly adopted the Law on Non-Application of the Decision of the High Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) Valentin Inzko on the Prohibition of Genocide Denial, in the urgent procedure.

RS MPs also adopted the Law on Amendments to the RS Criminal Code, ie amendments to this Law, which will make calling the Republika Srpska entity a ‘genocidal creation’ punishable by up to 15 years of jail time.

“These laws are in the process and are not final, considering that the issue of the vital national interest and the ongoing vacations will take time. The Bosniak Caucus will initiate a vital national interest procedure as planned. We expect that there will be no harmonization at the Joint Commission, that everything will go to the Constitutional Court of the RS, where we do not expect much,” Okic said, calling it a political court. He added that they will then appeal to the Constitutional Court of BiH.

According to him, the Bosniak Caucus also expects a reaction from the international community and other high stake actors.