The new High Representative who is to take over the post in Bosnia as of next month does not have legitimacy and none of his decisions will be accepted, said the Serb member of Bosnia’s tripartite Presidency, Milorad Dodik, following a meeting where leaders of political parties in the Bosnia's Republika Srpska entity discussed how to respond to the genocide denial ban the outgoing High Representative imposed in the country last week.

The High Representative tasked with overseeing the civilian implementation of the 1995 Dayton Peace Agreement in Bosnia, Valentin Inzko, used his special powers on Friday to introduce amendments to the Bosnia’s Criminal Code which sanction the glorification of war criminals convicted by final and binding judgments, as well as the denial of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes.

Germany’s Christian Schmidt is to take over the Office of the High Representative (OHR) on August 1.

The party leaders in the RS decided that officials from the entity will not participate in the work of Bosnia’s institutions due to Inzko’s decision. They also announced that new laws will be submitted to the RS National Assembly.

Dodik said that the RS lawmakers will discuss the issue in a closed session on Friday.

He said that this “imposition is rejected as null and void and that, as of today, Serb political representatives in the Presidency of BiH, the Council of Ministers and the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia will not participate in work and decision-making until it is decided how to oppose this and provide a mechanism that would prevent impositions.”

One of the laws allegedly being prepared for the session states that whoever calls Republika Srpska a “genocidal creation” will go to prison.