The Serb entity within Bosnia and Herzegovina adopted the draft constitution last Thursday which expanded the decision-making powers that challenge the country's state-level authority.
The draft constitution asserts RS’s right to self-determination, permits the establishment of special parallel ties with neighboring states, and allows entry into federal or confederal unions. It also includes provisions for the formation of an RS entity army, commanded by the RS president.
The document also proposes that RS could alter its border with the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBiH) through a referendum and would have sole authority to decide on neutrality or participation in military alliances.
A key provision in the draft is the elimination of the Council of Peoples, a body meant to protect the rights of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s ethnic groups.
Meanwhile, laws passed at the state level in Bosnia and Herzegovina would only take effect in RS if confirmed by the RS National Assembly.
RS President Milorad Dodik announced that the draft constitution will undergo 15 to 30 days of expert debate and urged the public to participate in discussions.
The constitutional changes come amid escalating tensions between the RS leadership and Bosnia and Herzegovina’s state institutions.
Last week, the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina temporarily suspended RS laws that prohibit the operation of state security and judicial institutions within the entity.
The Prosecutor’s Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina has since issued arrest warrants for Dodik, RS Prime Minister Radovan Viskovic, and RS National Assembly Speaker Nenad Stevandic on charges of “attacking the constitutional order.”
Dodik was previously sentenced to one year in prison and banned from holding office for six years by the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina in February, in a non-final verdict for disregarding the decisions of the High Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The proposed constitutional changes are expected to further heighten political tensions, with Bosniak and pro-Bosnian officials likely to challenge the RS leadership’s latest moves.
Read more [here](https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/bosnia-s-serb-entity-adopts-draft-constitution-granting-self-determination/3510099)