Deputies in the parliament of the Serbian-majority entity in Bosnia-Herzegovina have adopted the draft version of a law to create a separate judicial system from the rest of the country, a move outside officials say is illegal and which has faced strong opposition from the United States and European Union.
Members of the National Assembly of Republika Srpska in Banja Luka voted on February 10 in favor of forming a high judicial and prosecutorial council.
The action is being pushed by Milorad Dodik, the ethnic Serbian member of Bosnia's tripartite presidency, and is part of moves to separate the entity's military, police, and tax administration from the central Bosnian government, actions that contravene 1995 Dayton accords that ended the Bosnian wars.
The draft text will enter a 60-day public-discussion process, after which deputies will again discuss the final version before it is put into effect.
The law stipulates that the proposed council will be in charge of electing judges and prosecutors in the entity, as well as determining their powers and jurisdictions.
Currently, the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council of Bosnia-Herzegovina -- formed in 2004 after being agreed upon by the governments of the country's two entities -- elects judges and prosecutors in the entire country.
Under the 1995 Dayton accords, Bosnia consists of two entities -- the Republika Srpska (Serb Republic) and the Bosniak-Croat Federation -- and has a central government that ties both together in a fragile state.
The latest action is another step in moves by the ruling parties in the Republika Srpska to transfer power from the state level to the entity level.
SEE ALSO: Bosnian Serb Representatives Allowed To Rejoin Central InstitutionsUnder terms of the Dayton accords and other agreements, such changes cannot be made unless agreed upon by state members of the steering board of the Peace Implementation Council (PIC) of the Office of the High Representative.
The PIC includes 55 states and different international organizations such as the International Monetary Fund, the Council of Europe, and the International Committee of the Red Cross .
Christian Schmidt, the high representative for Bosnia-Herzegovina, was quoted by German news agency dpa as saying ahead of the parliament vote that setting up an independent judicial council of this kind contravened the law.
Lawmakers and politicians from the Republika Srpska claim that they are only "taking back" competencies they say were unconstitutionally taken from them in the past.
Last month, the EU threatened the Republika Srpska with sanctions and a reduction in assistance if its leadership continued to fuel political paralysis and division in Bosnia.
SEE ALSO: EU Threatens Bosnian Serb Leaders With Sanctions Over Secessionist Bid, 'Inflammatory Rhetoric'"Should the situation further deteriorate, the EU disposes of a wide toolbox, including the existing EU sanctions framework, and a review of the overall EU assistance," EU spokesman Peter Stano said in a January 10 statement.