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Republika Srpska

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Република Српска
Republika Srpska
Flag of Republika Srpska Coat of arms of Republika Srpska
Flag1 Coat of arms2

File:RSLocation.PNG
The location of Republika Srpska as part of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Europe.
Republika Srpska in Bosnia and Herzegovina
The Republika Srpska (red) within Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Brčko District (green) belongs to both entities.3
Official languages Serbian, Bosnian and Croatian4
Official script Cyrillic alphabet, Latin alphabet
Capital de jure Sarajevo de facto Banja Luka
Area
 – Total
 – % water
 24,811 km²
 n/a
Population
 – Total (2004 est.)
 – Density
 1,471,529
 59/km²
President Dragan Čavić
Prime minister Milorad Dodik
Anthem Bože Pravde
(God of Justice)
Patron Saint Saint Stephen5
Time zone UTC +1
Currency Convertible mark (KM)
Notes
1 & 2 The flag, the coat of arms and the anthem of Republika Srpska have been ruled unconstitutional by the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina and are due to be replaced by September 2006.[3]
3Although the Brčko District is formally held in "condominium" by both entities simultaneously (the Republika Srpska and the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina), it is a de facto third entity, as it has all the same powers as the other two entities and is under the direct sovereignty of BiH.[4]
4The Constitution of Republika Srpska avoids naming the languages, and lists the "languages of Serbs, Bosniaks, and Croats."
5St. Stephen's day is celebrated as the Day of the Republika Srpska and falls on January 9 according to the calendar of the Eastern Orthodox Church (in the RS, the Serb Orthodox Church).

The Republika Srpska (Serbian: Republika Srpska or Република Српска; Bosnian and Croatian: Republika Srpska) is one of the two political entities that together constitute the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the other entity being the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The de facto capital of the RS is Banja Luka.

Name

The word "Srpska" can be interpreted as an adjective ("Serb"), and, bearing in mind language rules for the creation of names of countries in Serbian and other Slavic languages, also as a proper noun. The Serbian name for several countries is analogous: France - Republika Francuska, which is also the official French name for France (Republique Française); Croatia - Republika Hrvatska; Bulgaria - Republika Bugarska, and so on. However, in these cases there has long existed an appropriate Latinized translation of the name to English.

"Republika Srpska" is translated by some as "Serb Republic" in English, though it is often left untranslated, including in the constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the official version of which is in English. Because of the potential for confusion between "Serb Republic" (Република Српска / Republika Srpska) and the "Republic of Serbia" (Република Србија / Republika Srbija), the name "Republika Srpska" is often used in its untranslated form in non-Slavic countries. This article follows that convention. The government of Republika Srpska uses the term "Republic of Srpska" in English translations of official documents, while some translate it as "Serb Republic". It should also be noted that RS is not a republic in the sense of a sovereign country as the term "Republika" (Republic) may imply, since the entity's name was agreed in its untranslated version at the Dayton Peace Agreement. Further, despite the adjective "Srpska" in the entity's name, Bosniaks and Croats are also constitutional peoples of Republika Srpska with a de jure status equal to that of Serbs.

Geography

Boundary

The Inter-Entity Boundary Line (IEBL) that distinguishes Bosnia and Herzegovina's two entities essentially runs along the military front lines as they existed at the end of the Bosnian War, with adjustments (most importantly in the western part of the country and around Sarajevo) made at the Dayton peace conference. The total length of the IEBL is approximately 1,080 km and is not controlled by the military or police. The IEBL is essentially an administrative demarcation; BiH citizens of whatever ethnicity are free to move across and back without let or hindrance.

Municipalities

Under the Law on Territorial Organization and Local Self-Government adopted in 1994, Republika Srpska was divided into 80 municipalities. After the conclusion of the Dayton Peace Agreement, the law was amended in 1996 to reflect the changes to the country's borders and now provides for the division of Republika Srpska into 63 municipalities.

Cities

Largest cities in Republika Srpska

List of largest cities in Republika Srpska (with population figures in 2006) [5]:

Note: the town of Brčko is part of the Brčko District, which is part of both entities (the Republika Srpska and the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina).

History

Creation of the Republika Srpska

During the political crisis that followed the secession of Slovenia and Croatia from the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia on June 25 1991, a separate Bosnian Serb Assembly was founded on October 24, 1991, as the representative body of Serbs in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Most Bosnian Serbs opposed any suggestion that Bosnia should also leave Yugoslavia. At this point, Serbs constituted about 31.4% of the population of Bosnia, with Croats (17.3%), Bosniaks (43.7%) and Yugoslavs (5.5%) making up the rest of the population.

The leading Serb political party in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Serb Democratic Party, led by Radovan Karadžić, organized the creation of "Serb autonomous provinces" (SAOs) within Bosnia and the establishment of an assembly to represent them. In November 1991, the Bosnian Serbs held a referendum which resulted in an overwhelming vote in favour of staying in a common state with Serbia and Montenegro. On January 9, 1992, the Bosnian Serb Assembly proclaimed the Republic of the Serb people of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Република српског народа Босне и Херцеговина / Republika srpskog naroda Bosne i Hercegovine). On February 28, 1992, the constitution of the Serb Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina was adopted and declared that the state's territory included Serb autonomous regions, municipalities, and other Serbian ethnic entities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and it was declared to be a part of the federal Yugoslav state.

The referendum and creation of SARs were proclaimed unconstitutional by the government of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and declared illegal and invalid. However, from February 29 to March 2, 1992 the government held a referendum on Bosnian independence from Yugoslavia. That referendum was in turn declared contrary to the BiH and Federal constitution by the Yugoslav Federal Constitutional court and rebel Bosnian Serb authorities; it was largely boycotted by the Bosnian Serbs. The turnout was somewhere between 64-67% and 98% of the voters voted for independence. It was unclear what the two-thirds majority requirement actually meant and whether it was satisfied.[citation needed] Almost all Bosnian Serbs boycotted the vote on the grounds that it was unconstitutional because the referendum bypassed the veto power of the representatives of the Serb people in the Bosnian parliament. An independent Bosnia was proclaimed in March, by which time the country had already plunged into ethnic conflict, caused by the secession. The resistance to the secession of Bosnia-Herzegovina was assisted by the Yugoslav National Army (JNA) and paramilitary forces from Serbia.[1] [2] On April 6 1992, the European Community formally recognised the independence of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Serb Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina declared its independence on April 7 1992. On August 12 1992, the reference to Bosnia and Herzegovina was dropped from the name, and it became simply Republika Srpska.

Republika Srpska and the Bosnian War

Front lines in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1994

During the next three years, Republika Srpska was one of the three warring sides in the Bosnian War, the others being the Bosniak (Bosnian Muslim) dominated Bosnian government and the Bosnian Croat statelet of Herzeg-Bosna. At the start of the war, the RS was in a much stronger military position compared to the other two sides. At the start of the war, the RS was by far the strongest warring side. Its army, the VRS (Army of Republika Srpska), was created from Bosnian Serb members of the Yugoslav People's Army (JNA) and was armed and equipped from JNA stockpiles in Bosnia and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.[citation needed] It also had the support of volunteers and various paramilitary forces from Serbia who had as their goal the creation of an ethnically pure Greater Serbia.[citation needed] In addition, the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia provided extensive humanitarian, logistical and financial support for the Republika Srpska and its military with the ultimate goal of annexing the territory controlled by the VRS and making it a part of Serbia.[citation needed]

The VRS and the political leadership of Republika Srpska have been proved in a series of cases at the Hague Tribunal to have committed war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide (see: the Srebrenica massacre), the ethnic cleansing of the non-Serb population [6], of killing, torturing and raping at concentration/detention camps [7], the long military siege of Sarajevo, and the destruction of Bosnian-Herzegovinian cultural and historical heritage [8], [9]. Many of them have been convicted of war crimes.

The front lines in 1995, shortly before the Dayton Agreement

By 1994, the United Nations estimated that more than half a million non-Serbs had been driven out from the territory controlled by Republika Srpska[citation needed] and by the spring of 1996, a United Nations census indicated that Serbs constituted 96.8% of the population of the republic. However, the republic's actions produced worldwide condemnation, the establishment of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia in 1993 and the eventual indictment of the Republika Srpska military and civilian leadership for war crimes.

In 1995, Republika Srpska came close to collapse in the face of military offensives by the Croat/Bosniak (Bosnian Muslim) forces and a concerted two-week campaign of NATO air strikes. Bosnian territory under RS control was reduced by one third and it later acceded to the Dayton Peace Agreement, accepted on its behalf by President Milošević (RS leaders not able to attend talks having being indicted for war crimes by the ICTY). Under this accord, RS was recognized as one of two entities that would constitute a newly configured state of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The total area of Republika Srpska is 49% of Bosnia's territory, with the Bosniak/Croat Federation constituting the other 51%.

The legal existence of Republika Srpska was postulated by the Agreed Basic Principles issued on September 8 1995, and the Further Agreed Basic Principles issued on September 26 1995, and was confirmed by the Dayton Peace Agreement. According to this peace agreement, the Republika Srpska was recognized as one of the two entities that compose the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The post-war Republika Srpska

Since the war, Republika Srpska has undergone many changes. Several of its wartime leaders were arrested or went into hiding following war crimes indictments, although in practice Radovan Karadžić continued to exert a degree of influence for years after the war's end. Some of the non-Serbs expelled during the war have returned to their former homes in Republika Srpska; the non-Serb population has increased to about 10% of the total. However, as in many other former communist countries, both of Bosnia's entities have experienced severe economic problems and widespread corruption during the transition to a market economy. This has seriously hampered Bosnia's recovery from the conflict.

The UN-appointed High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina has greatly influenced the post-war development of Republika Srpska. Several of its wartime aspects of independence, such as a separate currency, have been abolished. A number of senior Republika Srpska officials have been removed from their posts by the High Representative after being accused of corruption and blocking the process of reform and reconstruction. It is likely that the powers of the republic will be further reduced in future, along with those of its Muslim/Croat counterpart, as a more centralized Bosnian-Herzegovinian state is further re-established by the international community.[citation needed] However, since the position of the High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina is scheduled to be abolished in 2007 with his authority transferred to local politicians, the reform of the country would depend of the will of the politicians from both entities. Also, due to the referendum in Montenegro and increasing dissatisfaction displayed by the Serbs of Republika Srpska, many of the citizens would like a referendum through which an independent Republika Srpska would be created, although the international community deems that entities do not have a right to hold a referendum.

Demographics

File:Ethnic relations 1991.GIF
Ethnic map of Bosnia and Herzegovina, 1991 municipality data
File:Bih Stan 1991.GIF
Ethnic map of Bosnia and Herzegovina, 1991 settlement data
Ethnic map of Bosnia and Herzegovina, 2005 municipality data

Republika Srpska comprises 49% of the land area of Bosnia and Herzegovina and is home to about 34% of the population. [10] All data dealing with population, including ethnic distributions, are subject to considerable error because of the lack of official census figures and the forced removal of minority ethnic groups by RS authorities during the war. In 2005, the population of Republika Srpska was estimated to stand at about 1,411,000 people, of whom Serbs constituted 1,247,900 people or 88.4% of the overall population, followed by 150,390 Bosniaks at 10.7%, and Croats constituted 12,710 people or 0.9%. The population of non-Serbs has declined significantly since 1991, while the number of Serbs increased dramatically. This was caused by the ethnic cleansing of non-Serb population by the Bosnian Serb authorities, the influx of Bosnian Serb refugees from the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina due to the Bosnian war (1992-1995) and Croatian Serb refugees from Croatia due to the Croatian war (1991-1995). Bosnian Serb government resettlement policy also played a part, and some resettlement took place after the war following the Dayton Peace Agreement, subsequent to setting political boundaries (IEBL).

Economy

Republika Srpska uses the convertible mark currency of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Bosnia and Herzegovina, and therefore also Republika Srpska as one of its two entities, has been recognized e.g. by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, as a country which has achieved major improvements in implementation of reforms: the EBRD writes "Bosnia and Herzegovina continues to make progress in macroeconomic stabilisation and structural reforms, but the pace of progress has sometimes lagged behind expectations. The macroeconomic environment remains very stable, with annual growth of around 4-5 per cent, inflation in low single-digits, and strong reserve coverage underpinning the currency board. There have been significant and necessary reforms in the public sector over the past couple of years, and prospects for fiscal sustainability are improved, following the move in both Entities towards balanced budgets, although the process of building state-level institutions is presenting new fiscal challenges. However, trade and current account deficits remain large, with the latter estimated close to 20 per cent of GDP. Notwithstanding the evident progress of recent years, critical challenges remain to be tackled. On the macroeconomic front, poor data quality hampers consistent policy-making, while the size of the public sector remains too large and needs to be further reduced. Corruption is still prevalent and major fundamental reforms to public administration and the judiciary are required. Living standards are low and unemployment is widespread." Also "the internal political situation continues to be complex, especially in connection to disputes with the International Criminal Tribunal for former Yugoslavia (ICTY) and the failed negotiations to enter NATO’s Partnership for Peace Programme (PfP)."

The positive dynamic of development in Republika Srpska can be illustrated by the inflow of foreign investment, which doubled from 2000 to 2003 when it amounted to nearly 5% of GDP. In 2004, Republika Srpska received more foreign investment than in all previous years. An agreement on strategic partnership was concluded between the Iron Ore Mine Ljubija Prijedor and the British company LNM, a leading world steel producer. The Russian company Južuralzoloto also signed a strategic partnership with the Lead and Zinc Mine Sase Srebrenica.

Since 2001, Republika Srpska initiated significant reforms in the sector of the tax system, which lowered the tax burden to 28.6%, one of the lowest in the region. The 10% rate of capital gains tax and income tax are the lowest in Europe and highly stimulating for foreign investment, and there are no limits on the amount of earnings. Increasing the number of taxpayers and budgeted incomes, and creating a stable fiscal system, were necessary for further reforms in the fields of taxation and duties; this area is a priority goal of the RS authorities. Introduction of the VAT, expected in 2005, is one of the most demanding projects for the government.

The average salary in August 2004 was 660KM (around 340 EUR). From 1998-2003, the average monthly salary in Republika Srpska increased from 280 to 660KM, according to the Agency for Statistics of Bosnia and Hercegovina.

Government & politics

File:Milorad dodik.jpg
Milorad Dodik, Prime Minister of the Republika Srpska

Under its constitution, Republika Srpska has a president, parliament (the National Assembly of the Serb Republic), executive (with a prime minister and several ministries), supreme court and lower courts, customs service (under the state-level customs service), and postal service. It also has its own coat of arms, flag (the Serbian tricolour), and national anthem. Its flag airline, Air Srpska, ceased operations in 2003.

After the war, Republika Srpska retained its army, but in August 2005, under considerable foreign pressure (acting primarily through the Office of the High Representative), the parliament consented to transfer control of Army of Republika Srpska to a state-level ministry and abolish the republic's defense ministry and army by January 1, 2006. These reforms were required by NATO as a precondition of Bosnia and Herzegovina's admission to the Partnership for Peace.

Republika Srpska has its own police force, but in October 2005, again under pressure, the parliament consented to the creation over a five-year period of a single integrated police service at the state level, with local police areas that may cross the Inter-Entity Boundary Line if required based on technical considerations. These reforms were insisted upon by the European Union as a condition for the negotiation of a Stabilisation and Association Agreement with Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Although the constitution names Sarajevo as the capital of Republika Srpska, the northwestern city of Banja Luka is the headquarters of most of the institutions of government — including the parliament — and is the de facto capital.

Presidents

  • Radovan Karadžić (7 April 1992 to 19 July 1996) (SDS) (indicted by the International Criminal Tribunal for Former Yugoslavia)
  • Biljana Plavšić (19 July 1996 to 4 November 1998) (SDS/SNS RS) (expelled from SDS in July 1997 and formed SNS RS) (convicted of crimes against humanity by the ICTY)
  • Nikola Poplašen (4 November 1998 to 26 January 2000) (SRS RS) (removed by High Representative on 5 March 1999; removal enforced on 2 September 1999)
  • Mirko Šarović (26 January 2000 to 28 November 2002 (SDS) (not recognized as president by High Representative until 16 December 2000)
  • Dragan Čavić (28 November 2002 to present) (SDS)

Legislative Assembly

The current National Assembly of Republika Srpska (Народна Скупштина Републике Српске / Narodna Skupština Republike Srpske) is the sixth since the founding of the Republika Srpska.

  • First Assembly (24 October 1991 to 14 September 1996)
  • Second Assembly (19 October 1996 to 27 December 1997) (election of 4 September 1996)
  • Third Assembly (27 December 1997 to 19 October 1998) (election of 14 September 1997)
  • Fourth Assembly (19 October 1998 to 16 December 2000) (election of 13 September 1998)
  • Fifth Assembly (16 December 2000 to 28 November 2002) (election of 11 September 2000)
  • Sixth Assembly (from 28 November 2002) (election of 5 October 2002)

The political composition of the Sixth Assembly of the National Assembly of Republika Srpska:

Executive

The government of Republika Srpska 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.

Executive Administrations

The following is a list of the executive administrations of Republika Srpska with the name of the prime minister, the date on which the administration was formed by the National Assembly, and the political party of the chief minister:

  • Branko Đerić (22 April 1992) (SDS)
  • Vladimir Lukić (20 January 1993) (SDS)
  • Dušan Kozić (18 August 1994) (SDS)
  • Rajko Kasagić (17 December 1995) (SDS)
  • Gojko Kličković I (18 May 1996) (SDS)
  • Gojko Kličković II (27 November 1996) (SDS)
  • Milorad Dodik I (18 January 1998) (SNSD)
  • Mladen Ivanić (12 January 2001) (PDP)
  • Dragan Mikerević (17 January 2003) (PDP)
  • Pero Bukejlović (17 February 2005) (SDS)
  • Milorad Dodik II (28 February 2006) (SNSD)

Ministries

The following are the sixteen 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 for Economic Relations and Coordination
  • Ministry for Refugees and Displaced Persons
  • Ministry of Science and Technology
  • Ministry without Portfolio

Administrative Units in RS

Administrative units 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 units 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 Unit for Geodetic and Legal-Property Issues (responsible to the Government of Republika Srpska)
  • Administrative Unit for the RS Customs (Ministry of Finance)
  • Tax Administration (Ministry of Finance)
  • Foreign Currency Inspectorate (Ministry of Finance)
  • Unit for Civil Defense (Ministry of Administration and Local Self-Governance)

Administrative Organizations in RS

Main article: Administrative Organizations in Republika Srpska

Administrative organizations in RS are established for the purpose of performing professional duties and duties of the republican administration (institutions, directorates, secretariats, agencies, commissariats, funds, centers and other forms). Administrative organizations may have the attributes of a legal entity.

Culture

Museums

The Museum of the Republika Srpska is located in Banja Luka, as well as the Museum of Contemporary Art.

Sport

Main article: Sport in Republika Srpska

Notable football clubs in the RS include Borac Banja Luka, Slavija Istočno Sarajevo, FK Radnik Bijeljina, and FK Leotar Trebinje.

Education

There are two public universities in the Republika Srpska: the University of Banja Luka, and the University of East Sarajevo (formerly the University of Serb Sarajevo). The University of Banja Luka was founded on Novermber 7 1975, while the University of East Sarajevo traces its roots to 1946.

Media

The main media organisations of the Republika Srpska are based in Banja Luka. A notable exception is the BN TV station, based in Bijeljina, in the Semberija region.

Miscellaneous

File:Tavnamarka.jpg
1994 Postage Stamp
File:Brankomarka.jpg
2004 Banknote of Bosnia Herzegovina (Republika Srpska version) showing Branko Ćopić
File:RSDinar.jpg
1993 5000 dinar banknote showing Petar Kočić

In 1992, the new government of Republika Srpska issued postage stamps and currency -- prized abroad by collectors. From 1992-94 Republika Srpska had its own currency, the Republika Srpska dinar.

Republika Srpska does not have its own Internet domain name and its institutions do not prefer the Bosnia-Herzegovina TLD (.BA) or indeed any other single TLD. Third parties offer the subdomain .RS under either one of the top level domains .BA (Bosnia & Herzegovina) [11] or .SR (Suriname, but resembling Serbia, which actually uses .YU) [12].

References

  1. ^ CCPR Human Rights Committee. "Bosnia and Herzegovina Report". United Nations. 30 October 1992 [1]
  2. ^ Gutman, Roy; "Rape Camps: Evidence Serb leaders in Bosnia OKd attacks"; Newsday; 19 April 1993. [2]

See also

Official pages

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