Politics of Republika Srpska
Encyclopedia
This article is about the politics
of the Republika Srpska
, one of the two entities
that together comprise the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina
, the other being the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina
.
Presidents of Republika Srpska
The current National Assembly of the Republika Srpska
(Народна Скупштина Републике Српске / Narodna Skupština Republike Srpske) is the eighth since the founding of the Republika Srpska.
The political composition of the Seventh Convocation of the National Assembly of Republika Srpska (and the change in number of seats from the Sixth Convocation):
The law requires that eight ministers be elected from the Serb population, five from the Bosniak population, and three from the Croat population. The prime minister may also appoint one minister from among the "others" population (out of the largest constituent ethnic group).
Under the Law on Ministries adopted in October 2002, the "tasks of the administration" of Republika Srpska are carried out by ministries, republican administrative units, and republican administrative organizations.
Prime Ministers of Republika Srpska
The following are the administrative units and the ministries to which they belong:
said a referendum on independence for RS was a fair solution and that 99 percent of Bosnian Serbs support secession from Bosnia-Herzegovina. Dodik stated that this referendum is "inevitable" and says that Bosnia and Herzegovina
has no viable future.
Bosniak
politicians request for the suspension of Republika Srpska, saying that it was created on the backbone of genocide
and war crimes. Haris Silajdžić
, party leader of Party for Bosnia and Herzegovina
, has repeatedly stated that he wishes to see the RS dismantled.
Miroslav Lajčák
, former High Representative of Bosnia-Herzegovina, has responded to this by saying that "Republika Srpska does not have the right to secede from BiH, at the same time no one can unilaterally abolish Republika Srpska." President of Serbia Boris Tadić
says that Serbia does not support a break up of Bosnia and that, as a guarantor of the Dayton Accords that brought peace to Bosnia, supports Bosnia’s territorial integrity.
was signed between the two in February 28, 1997. A council has been established to bolster relations, in which presidents and prime ministers participate. The Agreement was implemented December 15, 2010. So far, four councils have been held.
On July 26, 2010, the Serbian Minister of Finance
Diana Dragutinović
and her Republika Srpska counterpart Aleksandar Džombić
signed an Agreement on Cooperation in the Financial Sector, which will further develop mutual relations in the financial system. It will bolster the already good cooperation between the two, and help to maintain special parallel relations and enable exchange of experience, also discussing other sections. The working groups will convene at least twice a year.
on July 25th.
Politics
Politics is a process by which groups of people make collective decisions. The term is generally applied to the art or science of running governmental or state affairs, including behavior within civil governments, but also applies to institutions, fields, and special interest groups such as the...
of the Republika Srpska
Republika Srpska
Republika Srpska is one of two main political entities of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the other being the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina...
, one of the two entities
Political divisions of Bosnia and Herzegovina
The political divisions of Bosnia and Herzegovina were created by the Dayton Agreement, which recognized a second tier of government in Bosnia and Herzegovina comprising two entities—a joint Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Republika Srpska -- each presiding over roughly one half of...
that together comprise the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
, the other being the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina
The Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina is one of the two political entities that compose the sovereign country of Bosnia and Herzegovina . The two entities are delineated by the Inter-Entity Boundary Line...
.
Presidents of Republika SrpskaRepublika SrpskaRepublika Srpska is one of two main political entities of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the other being the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina...
- Radovan KaradžićRadovan KaradžicRadovan Karadžić is a former Bosnian Serb politician. He is detained in the United Nations Detention Unit of Scheveningen, accused of war crimes committed against Bosnian Muslims and Bosnian Croats during the Siege of Sarajevo, as well as ordering the Srebrenica massacre.Educated as a...
(7 April 1992 - 19 July 1996) (SDS) - Biljana PlavšićBiljana PlavšicBiljana Plavšić is a former president of Republika Srpska and war criminal. She is the highest ranking Bosnian Serb politician to be sentenced. She was indicted in 2001 by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia for war crimes committed during the Bosnian war...
(19 July 1996 - 4 November 1998) (SDS/SNS RS) (expelled from SDS in July 1997 and formed SNS RS) - Nikola PoplašenNikola PoplašenNikola Poplašen is a former Bosnian Serb politician. He was the president of Republika Srpska for 6 months from 1998 through 1999.-References:...
(4 November 1998 - 26 January 2000) (SRS RS) (removed by High Representative on 5 March 1999; removal enforced on 2 September 1999) - Mirko ŠarovićMirko ŠarovicMirko Šarović is a Bosnian Serb politician, former Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina....
(26 January 2000 - 28 November 2002) (SDS) (not recognized as president by High Representative until 16 December 2000) - Dragan ČavićDragan CavicDragan Čavić was the President of Republika Srpska 2002-2006. He was Vice President of Republika Srpska between 2000 and 2002.-References:...
(28 November 2002 - 9 November 2006) (SDS) - Milan JelićMilan JelicDr. Milan Jelić was a Serb politician in Bosnia and Herzegovina. From 9 November 2006 until his death from a heart attack, he was President of Republika Srpska....
(9 November 2006 - 30 September 2007) (SNSD) - Igor RadojičićIgor RadojicicIgor Radojičić is the Chairman of the National Assembly of Republika Srpska, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and following the death of President Milan Jelić, was acting President of Republika Srpska from October 1, 2007 to 28 December 2007.Radojičić was born in Banja Luka on 13 September...
(acting President) (1 October 2007 - 9 December 2007) (SNSD) - Rajko KuzmanovićRajko KuzmanovicRajko Kuzmanović is a Serb politician in Bosnia and Herzegovina. He was the President of Republika Srpska from December 7, 2007 to November 15, 2010...
(9 December 2007 - 15 November 2010) (SNSD) - Milorad DodikMilorad DodikMilorad Dodik , is the President of Republika Srpska, and the president of the Alliance of Independent Social Democrats political party. He graduated from the Belgrade University of Political Sciences .-Political career:...
(15 November 2010 to present) (SNSD)
National Assembly
National Assembly of the Republika Srpska
The National Assembly of the Republika Srpska is the legislative body of the Republika Srpska, one of two entities comprising the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina...
(Народна Скупштина Републике Српске / Narodna Skupština Republike Srpske) is the eighth since the founding of the Republika Srpska.
- First Assembly (24 October 1991 - 14 September 1996)
- Second Assembly (19 October 1996 - 27 December 1997) (election of 4 September 1996)
- Third Assembly (27 December 1997 - 19 October 1998) (election of 14 September 1997)
- Fourth Assembly (19 October 1998 - 16 December 2000) (election of 13 September 1998)
- Fifth Assembly (16 December 2000 - 28 November 2002) (election of 11 September 2000)
- Sixth Assembly (28 November 2002 - 30 November 2006) (election of 5 October 2002)
- Seventh Assembly (30 November 2006 - 15 November 2010) (election of 1 October 2006)
- Eighth Assembly (15 November 2010 to present) (election of 3 October 2010)
The political composition of the Seventh Convocation of the National Assembly of Republika Srpska (and the change in number of seats from the Sixth Convocation):
- Alliance of Independent Social Democrats 41 (+23)
- Serbian Democratic Party 15 (-11)
- Party of Democratic ProgressParty of Democratic ProgressThe Party of Democratic Progress is a Serbian political party in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is the third-largest party in Republika Srpska.-History:...
8 (-1) - Democratic People's AllianceDemocratic People's AllianceThe Democratic People's Alliance is a political party in Republic of Srpska and Bosnia and Herzegovina.At the last legislative elections in Republic of Srpska and Bosnia and Herzegovina, 5 October 2002, the party won seats in the House of Representatives of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and 3 out of 83...
4 (+1) - Party for Bosnia and HerzegovinaParty for Bosnia and HerzegovinaThe Party for Bosnia and Herzegovina is a liberal conservative political party in Bosnia and Herzegovina led by Haris Silajdžić. On the issues of the internal divisions of Bosnia, SBiH wants to eliminate two entities, and establish a "one man-one vote political system" in an unified...
4 (no change) - Socialist Party 3
- Party of Democratic ActionParty of Democratic ActionThe Party of Democratic Action is a Bosniak national political party in Bosnia and Herzegovina.-History:The Party of Democratic Action was founded in May 1990 by Alija Izetbegović, representing the Bosnian Muslim population...
3 (-3) - Serbian Radical PartySerbian Radical Party of the Republika SrpskaThe Serbian Radical Party of the Republika Srpska is a Serbian ultra-nationalist political party in Bosnia and Herzegovina....
2 (-1) - Social Democratic Party of Bosnia and HerzegovinaSocial Democratic Party of Bosnia and HerzegovinaThe Social Democratic Party of Bosnia and Herzegovina is a multi-ethnic social-democratic political party in Bosnia and Herzegovina.The party is the successor of the League of Communists of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and was enlarged by the inclusion of the Socijaldemokrati BiH party to the original...
1 (-2)
Cabinet
The cabinet is composed of the prime minister and the heads of the sixteen ministries. The National Assembly also selects two deputy prime ministers from among the ministers from different constituent peoples (Serbs, Croats, and Bosniaks) on the recommendation of the prime minister.The law requires that eight ministers be elected from the Serb population, five from the Bosniak population, and three from the Croat population. The prime minister may also appoint one minister from among the "others" population (out of the largest constituent ethnic group).
Under the Law on Ministries adopted in October 2002, the "tasks of the administration" of Republika Srpska are carried out by ministries, republican administrative units, and republican administrative organizations.
Prime Ministers of Republika SrpskaRepublika SrpskaRepublika Srpska is one of two main political entities of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the other being the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina...
- Branko Đerić (22 April 1992 - 20 January 1993) (SDS)
- Vladimir Lukić (20 January 1993 - 18 August 1994) (SDS)
- Dušan Kozić (18 August 1994 - 17 December 1995) (SDS)
- Rajko Kasagić (17 December 1995 - 18 May 1996) (SDS)
- Gojko Kličković (18 May 1996 - 18 January 1998) (SDS)
- Milorad DodikMilorad DodikMilorad Dodik , is the President of Republika Srpska, and the president of the Alliance of Independent Social Democrats political party. He graduated from the Belgrade University of Political Sciences .-Political career:...
(18 January 1998 - 12 January 2001) (SNSD) (1st term) - Mladen IvanićMladen IvanicMladen Ivanić is a Bosnian Serb politician. From 2001 to 2003, Ivanić was Prime Minister of the Republika Srpska, and his leadership is described by many as rather successful...
(12 January 2001 - 17 January 2003) (PDP) - Dragan MikerevićDragan MikerevicDragan Mikerević is a Serb politician from Bosnia and Herzegovina.He served as Prime Minister of the Republika Srpska from January 2003 to February 2005...
(17 January 2003 - 17 February 2005) (PDP) - Pero BukejlovićPero BukejlovicPero Bukejlović was Prime Minister of Republika Srpska after the resignation of Dragan Mikerević . He represented the Serbian Democratic Party....
(17 February 2005 - 28 February 2006) (SDS) - Milorad DodikMilorad DodikMilorad Dodik , is the President of Republika Srpska, and the president of the Alliance of Independent Social Democrats political party. He graduated from the Belgrade University of Political Sciences .-Political career:...
(28 February 2006 - 15 November 2010) (SNSD) (2nd term) - Anton Kasipović (15 November 2010 - 29 December 2010) (Non-party)
- Aleksandar Džombić (29 December 2010 - Present (SNSD)
Ministries
- Ministry for Economy, Energy and Development
- Ministry of Finance
- Ministry of Education and Culture
- Ministry of Justice
- Ministry of Internal Affairs
- Ministry of Administration and Local Self-Governance
- Ministry of Health and Social Protection
- Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Resources
- Ministry of Transport and Communications
- Ministry of Trade and Tourism
- Ministry of Urban Planning, Civil Engineering and Ecology
- Ministry of Labor and Soldiers and Invalid Protection
- Ministry of Economic Relations and Coordination
- Ministry of Refugees and Displaced Persons
- Ministry of Science and Technology
- Ministry without Portfolio
Administrative Services
Administrative services in RS are administrative bodies within the ministries, and are established for the purpose of performing certain activities from within the sphere of activity of the administration, which, due to their nature, entirety and way of performing, require independence and special organization (administration, inspectorates, and other forms). Administrative services are under the direct supervision of the ministry to which they belong.The following are the administrative units and the ministries to which they belong:
- Administrative Service for Geodetic and Legal-Property Issues (responsible to the Government of Republika Srpska)
- Administrative Service for the RS Customs (Ministry of Finance)
- Revenue Service (Ministry of Finance)
- Foreign Currency Inspectorate (Ministry of Finance)
- Civil Defense Service(Ministry of Administration and Local Self-Governance)
Administrative Organizations
Administrative organizations in the RS are established for the purpose of performing professional duties and duties of the republic's administration (institutions, directorates, secretariats, agencies, commissariats, funds, centers and other forms). Administrative organizations may have the attributes of a legal entity.Current situation
Bosnian Serb nationalist politicians threaten to separate Republika Srpska from Bosnia and Herzegovina entirely. The Prime Minister of Republika Srpska Milorad DodikMilorad Dodik
Milorad Dodik , is the President of Republika Srpska, and the president of the Alliance of Independent Social Democrats political party. He graduated from the Belgrade University of Political Sciences .-Political career:...
said a referendum on independence for RS was a fair solution and that 99 percent of Bosnian Serbs support secession from Bosnia-Herzegovina. Dodik stated that this referendum is "inevitable" and says that Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
has no viable future.
Bosniak
Bosniaks
The Bosniaks or Bosniacs are a South Slavic ethnic group, living mainly in Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a smaller minority also present in other lands of the Balkan Peninsula especially in Serbia, Montenegro and Croatia...
politicians request for the suspension of Republika Srpska, saying that it was created on the backbone of genocide
Genocide
Genocide is defined as "the deliberate and systematic destruction, in whole or in part, of an ethnic, racial, religious, or national group", though what constitutes enough of a "part" to qualify as genocide has been subject to much debate by legal scholars...
and war crimes. Haris Silajdžić
Haris Silajdžic
Haris Silajdžić is a Bosnian politician and academic. In the 2006 elections, Silajdžić was elected as the Bosniak member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina for four years in the rotating presidency.He was born in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Yugoslavia.- Political career:From 1990...
, party leader of Party for Bosnia and Herzegovina
Party for Bosnia and Herzegovina
The Party for Bosnia and Herzegovina is a liberal conservative political party in Bosnia and Herzegovina led by Haris Silajdžić. On the issues of the internal divisions of Bosnia, SBiH wants to eliminate two entities, and establish a "one man-one vote political system" in an unified...
, has repeatedly stated that he wishes to see the RS dismantled.
Miroslav Lajčák
Miroslav Lajcák
Dr. Miroslav Lajčák is a Slovak diplomat.Lajčák is a law graduate from the Comenius University in Bratislava. He holds a Ph.D. in international relations from the State Institute of International Relations in Moscow and is also a graduate of the George C...
, former High Representative of Bosnia-Herzegovina, has responded to this by saying that "Republika Srpska does not have the right to secede from BiH, at the same time no one can unilaterally abolish Republika Srpska." President of Serbia Boris Tadić
Boris Tadic
Boris Tadić is the President of Serbia and leader of the Democratic Party. He was elected to a five-year term on 27 June 2004, and was sworn into office on 11 July. He was re-elected for a de facto second five-year term on 3 February 2008 and was sworn in on 15 February...
says that Serbia does not support a break up of Bosnia and that, as a guarantor of the Dayton Accords that brought peace to Bosnia, supports Bosnia’s territorial integrity.
Serbia-Republika Srpska relations
In 1997, the Agreement on Special Parallel RelationsAgreement on Special Parallel Relations
The Agreement on Special Parallel Relations is a cooperation agreement between Republic of Serbia and Republic of Srpska , signed for the first time in February 28, 1997 to develop better relations between the two...
was signed between the two in February 28, 1997. A council has been established to bolster relations, in which presidents and prime ministers participate. The Agreement was implemented December 15, 2010. So far, four councils have been held.
On July 26, 2010, the Serbian Minister of Finance
Minister of Finance (Serbia)
Minister of Finance is the person in charge of the Ministry of Finance of Serbia. The current Prime Minister, Mirko Cvetković, is simultaneously Minister of Finance, since 14 March 2011.-List of ministers:-External links:*...
Diana Dragutinović
Diana Dragutinovic
Dr. Diana Dragutinović is a Serbian politician, and former Minister of Finance in the Government of Serbia....
and her Republika Srpska counterpart Aleksandar Džombić
Aleksandar Džombić
Aleksandar Džombić is a Serbian politician from Bosnia and Herzegovina and Prime Minister of Republika Srpska. He was minister of finance in the previous government.-References:...
signed an Agreement on Cooperation in the Financial Sector, which will further develop mutual relations in the financial system. It will bolster the already good cooperation between the two, and help to maintain special parallel relations and enable exchange of experience, also discussing other sections. The working groups will convene at least twice a year.
Kosovo's unilateral proclamation of independence
On July 31, 2011, President Milorad Dodik said that the concept of a multi-ethnic state in Kosovo has failed, and that the solving of the Kosovo question has not been dealt with, stressing that Republika Srpska does not accept Kosovo as an independent country. Dodik said "The peaceful solution is evidently not a possible solution [...] We support Belgrade." in relation to the Kosovo ROSU police operation trying to take control of administrative border crossings located in North KosovoNorth Kosovo
North or Northern Kosovo refers to a region in the northern part of Kosovo with an ethnic Serb majority that functions largely autonomously from the remainder of the disputed territory, which has an ethnic Albanian majority. Ibarian Kolashin , a toponym that pre-dates the political partition, is...
on July 25th.