Politics of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Encyclopedia
Politics of Bosnia and Herzegovina takes place in a framework of a parliamentary
Parliamentary system
A parliamentary system is a system of government in which the ministers of the executive branch get their democratic legitimacy from the legislature and are accountable to that body, such that the executive and legislative branches are intertwined....

 representative democratic
Representative democracy
Representative democracy is a form of government founded on the principle of elected individuals representing the people, as opposed to autocracy and direct democracy...

 republic
Republic
A republic is a form of government in which the people, or some significant portion of them, have supreme control over the government and where offices of state are elected or chosen by elected people. In modern times, a common simplified definition of a republic is a government where the head of...

, whereby the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina
The Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina is the executive branch of the government of Bosnia and Herzegovina.According to the Article V, Section 4 of the Constitution, the Chair of the Council of Ministers is nominated by the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina and confirmed by the...

 is the head of government
Head of government
Head of government is the chief officer of the executive branch of a government, often presiding over a cabinet. In a parliamentary system, the head of government is often styled prime minister, chief minister, premier, etc...

, and of a multi-party system
Multi-party system
A multi-party system is a system in which multiple political parties have the capacity to gain control of government separately or in coalition, e.g.The Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition in the United Kingdom formed in 2010. The effective number of parties in a multi-party system is normally...

. Executive power
Executive Power
Executive Power is Vince Flynn's fifth novel, and the fourth to feature Mitch Rapp, an American agent that works for the CIA as an operative for a covert counter terrorism unit called the "Orion Team."-Plot summary:...

 is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government
Government
Government refers to the legislators, administrators, and arbitrators in the administrative bureaucracy who control a state at a given time, and to the system of government by which they are organized...

 and parliament. Members of the parliament are chosen according to a proportional representation
Proportional representation
Proportional representation is a concept in voting systems used to elect an assembly or council. PR means that the number of seats won by a party or group of candidates is proportionate to the number of votes received. For example, under a PR voting system if 30% of voters support a particular...

 system.

The Judiciary
Judiciary
The judiciary is the system of courts that interprets and applies the law in the name of the state. The judiciary also provides a mechanism for the resolution of disputes...

 is independent of the executive and the legislature.
The system of government established by the Dayton Accord is an example of consociationalism
Consociationalism
Consociationalism is a form of government involving guaranteed group representation, and is often suggested for managing conflict in deeply divided societies...

, as representation is by elites who represent the country's three major groups, with each having a guaranteed share of power.

Bosnia and Herzegovina is divided into two Entities - 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...

 and 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...

, which each have largely autonomous political power, as well as the district of Brčko
Brcko District
Brčko District in northeastern Bosnia and Herzegovina is a neutral, self-governing administrative unit, under the sovereignty of Bosnia and Herzegovina...

, which is jointly administered by both. Each of the Entities has its own constitution.
See Political divisions of Bosnia and Herzegovina
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...


Dayton Agreement

Due to the Dayton Agreement
Dayton Agreement
The General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina, also known as the Dayton Agreement, Dayton Accords, Paris Protocol or Dayton-Paris Agreement, is the peace agreement reached at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton, Ohio in November 1995, and formally signed in Paris on...

, signed 14 December 1995, Bosnia and Herzogovina forms an international protectorate, with decisive power given to the High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina
High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina
The High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina, with the Office of the High Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina, was created in 1995 immediately after the Dayton Peace Agreement to oversee the civilian implementation of this agreement. The High Representative and the OHR represent the...

. It retained Bosnia's exterior border and created a joint multi-ethnic and democratic government. This national government - based on proportional representation similar to that which existed in the former socialist regime - is charged with conducting foreign, economic, and fiscal policy.

The Dayton Agreement established the Office of the High Representative
High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina
The High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina, with the Office of the High Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina, was created in 1995 immediately after the Dayton Peace Agreement to oversee the civilian implementation of this agreement. The High Representative and the OHR represent the...

 (OHR) to oversee the implementation of the civilian aspects of the agreement. About 250 international and 450 local staff members are employed by the OHR.

High Representative

The highest political authority in the country is the High Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the chief executive officer for the international civilian presence in the country. Since 1995, the High Representative has been able to bypass the elected parliamentary assembly or to remove elected officials. The methods selected by the High Representative are often seen as dictatorship. Even the symbols of Bosnian statehood (flag, coat of arms) have been chosen by the Highest Representative rather than by the Bosnian people. The source of the authority of the High Representative is essentially contractual. His mandate derives from the Dayton Agreement, as confirmed by the Peace Implementation Council
Peace Implementation Council
The Peace Implementation Council is an international body charged with implementing the Dayton Peace Agreement for Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Council was established at an implementation conference held in London, United Kingdom on December 8 and 9, 1995, subsequent to the completion of the...

, an ad hoc body with a Steering Board composed of representatives of Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...

, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...

, the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

, the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

, the presidency of the European Union, the European Commission
European Commission
The European Commission is the executive body of the European Union. The body is responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the Union's treaties and the general day-to-day running of the Union....

, and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.

Executive branch

The Chair of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina
The Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina is the head of state of Bosnia and Herzegovina.-Overview:...

 rotates among three members (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...

, Serb, Croat), each elected as incumbent
Incumbent
The incumbent, in politics, is the existing holder of a political office. This term is usually used in reference to elections, in which races can often be defined as being between an incumbent and non-incumbent. For example, in the 2004 United States presidential election, George W...

 of the Chair for an 8-month term within their 4-year term as a member. The three members of the Presidency
Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina
The Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina is the head of state of Bosnia and Herzegovina.-Overview:...

 are elected directly by the people (Federation votes for the Bosniak/Croat, Republika Srpska for the Serb). The Presidency is the head of state
Head of State
A head of state is the individual that serves as the chief public representative of a monarchy, republic, federation, commonwealth or other kind of state. His or her role generally includes legitimizing the state and exercising the political powers, functions, and duties granted to the head of...

 institution and it is mainly responsible for the foreign policy
Foreign policy
A country's foreign policy, also called the foreign relations policy, consists of self-interest strategies chosen by the state to safeguard its national interests and to achieve its goals within international relations milieu. The approaches are strategically employed to interact with other countries...

 and proposing the budget
Budget
A budget is a financial plan and a list of all planned expenses and revenues. It is a plan for saving, borrowing and spending. A budget is an important concept in microeconomics, which uses a budget line to illustrate the trade-offs between two or more goods...

.

The Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina
The Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina is the executive branch of the government of Bosnia and Herzegovina.According to the Article V, Section 4 of the Constitution, the Chair of the Council of Ministers is nominated by the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina and confirmed by the...

 is nominated by the Presidency and approved by the House of Representatives. He is then responsible for appointing a Foreign Minister, Minister of Foreign Trade, and others as appropriate.

The Council is responsible for carrying out various policies and decisions in the fields of diplomacy, economy, inter-Entity relations and other matters as agreed by the Entities.

Each of the Entities has its own Council of Ministers, which deal with internal matters not dealt with by the state Council.

Principal Government Officials

|High Representative
High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina
The High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina, with the Office of the High Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina, was created in 1995 immediately after the Dayton Peace Agreement to oversee the civilian implementation of this agreement. The High Representative and the OHR represent the...


|Valentin Inzko
Valentin Inzko
Valentin Inzko is an Austrian diplomat of Carinthian Slovene origin. He is currently serving as the High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina, a role which he assumed on March 26, 2009. He is at the same time the European Union Special Representative for Bosnia and...


|
|26 March 2009
|-
|rowspan=3|Members of the Presidency
Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina
The Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina is the head of state of Bosnia and Herzegovina.-Overview:...


|Željko Komšić
Željko Komšic
Željko Komšić is a Bosniaks politician from the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina.On 1 October 2006, he was elected by Bosnikas as the representatives of Croat to a four-year term as the member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina.-Early life and the war in Bosnia:Komšić has a law degree...

 (Croat; Chair
Chairmen of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina
The following is a list of Chairmen of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina.-Socialist Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina:-Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina:-Post-Dayton Bosnia and Herzegovina:-See also:...

)
|SDPBiH
Social Democratic Party of Bosnia and Herzegovina
The 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...


|6 November 2006
|-
|Nebojša Radmanović
Nebojša Radmanovic
Nebojša Radmanović is a Bosnian Serb politician. He finished his schooling in Banja Luka, before going on to study at the University of Belgrade Faculty of Philosophy...

 (Serb)
|SNSD
|6 November 2006
|-
|Bakir Izetbegović
Bakir Izetbegovic
Bakir Izetbegović is a Bosniak politician. Izetbegović is a member of the Party of Democratic Action and son of the late Bosnian president, Alija Izetbegović. In 2010, he was elected to be the Bosniak member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina.-Career:Izetbegović graduated with a degree in...

 (Bosniak)
|SDA
Party of Democratic Action
The 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...


|4 October 2010
|-
|Chairman of the Council of Ministers
Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina
The Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina is the executive branch of the government of Bosnia and Herzegovina.According to the Article V, Section 4 of the Constitution, the Chair of the Council of Ministers is nominated by the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina and confirmed by the...


|Nikola Špirić
Nikola Špiric
Dr. Nikola Špirić born September 4, 1956 in Drvar, Bosnia and Herzegovina, then Yugoslavia) is a Bosnian Serb politician and is the Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina elected on 4 January 2007....

 (Serb)
|SNSD
|1 November 2007
|-
|President of 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...


|Borjana Krišto
Borjana Krišto
Borjana Krišto is a Bosnian Croat politician, affiliated with the Croatian Democratic Union of Bosnia and Herzegovina. She is the former president of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina - one of two political entities to compose Bosnia and Herzegovina - from February 22, 2007 to March 17, 2011...

 (Croat)
|HDZBiH
Croatian Democratic Union of Bosnia and Herzegovina
The Croatian Democratic Union of Bosnia and Herzegovina is a political party of Croats in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is an observer member of the European People's Party ....


|22 February 2007
|-
|rowspan=2|Vice-presidents
|Mirsad Kebo (Bosniak)
|
|22 February 2007
|-
|Spomenka Mičić (Serb)
|SBiH
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...


|22 February 2007
|-
|Prime Minister of 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...


|Mustafa Mujezinović
Mustafa Mujezinović
Mustafa Mujezinović was the Prime Minister of Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, one of the two entities of Bosnia and Herzegovina from 2009 to 2011. In Sarajevo, he finished elementary school 1970 , and in 1974 high school...

 (Bosniak)
|SDA
Party of Democratic Action
The 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...


|30 March 2007
|-
|President of the Republic Srpska
|Rajko Kuzmanović
Rajko Kuzmanovic
Rajko Kuzmanović is a Serb politician in Bosnia and Herzegovina. He was the President of Republika Srpska from December 7, 2007 to November 15, 2010...

 (Serb)
|SNSD
|9 November 2006
|-
|rowspan=2|Vice-presidents
|Adil Osmanović (Bosniak)
|SDA
Party of Democratic Action
The 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...


|
|-
|Davor Čordaš (Croat)
|HDZBiH
Croatian Democratic Union of Bosnia and Herzegovina
The Croatian Democratic Union of Bosnia and Herzegovina is a political party of Croats in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is an observer member of the European People's Party ....


|
|-
|Prime minister of the Republic Srpska
|Milorad Dodik
Milorad 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:...

 (Serb)
|SNSD
|28 February 2006
|-
|International supervisor of Brčko
Brcko (city)
Brčko is a city in northern Bosnia and Herzegovina, administrative seat of the Brčko District. It lies on the country's border along the Sava river across from Gunja, Croatia...


|Raffi Gregorian
Raffi Gregorian
Raffi Gregorian is an American diplomat. Gregorian is the current Principal Deputy High Representative and Brčko District Supervisor in Bosnia and Herzegovina...


|
|1 October 2006
|-
|Mayor of Brčko
Brcko (city)
Brčko is a city in northern Bosnia and Herzegovina, administrative seat of the Brčko District. It lies on the country's border along the Sava river across from Gunja, Croatia...


|Dragan Pajić (Serb)
|SNSD
|8 December 2008
|}

History

Past international high representative
High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina
The High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina, with the Office of the High Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina, was created in 1995 immediately after the Dayton Peace Agreement to oversee the civilian implementation of this agreement. The High Representative and the OHR represent the...

s: Carl Bildt
Carl Bildt
, Honorary KCMG is a Swedish politician, diplomat and nobleman. Formerly Prime Minister of Sweden from 1991 to 1994 and leader of the liberal conservative Moderate Party from 1986 to 1999, Bildt has served as Swedish Minister for Foreign Affairs since 6 October 2006...

, Carlos Westendorp
Carlos Westendorp
Carlos Westendorp y Cabeza is a Spanish diplomat.He joined the Spanish Diplomatic Service in 1966.Following several assignments abroad and in Spain Carlos Westendorp y Cabeza (born 7 January 1937 in Madrid) is a Spanish diplomat.He joined the Spanish Diplomatic Service in 1966.Following several...

, Wolfgang Petritsch
Wolfgang Petritsch
Wolfgang Petritsch is an Austrian diplomat of Slovene ethnicity. He was born to a Carinthian Slovene family in Klagenfurt and spent his childhood in a partially Slovene, partially German-speaking environment. He has a PhD from the University of Vienna and was a Fulbright Scholar at the University...

, Paddy Ashdown
Paddy Ashdown
Jeremy John Durham Ashdown, Baron Ashdown of Norton-sub-Hamdon, GCMG, KBE, PC , usually known as Paddy Ashdown, is a British politician and diplomat....

, Christian Schwarz-Schilling
Christian Schwarz-Schilling
Dr. Christian Schwarz-Schilling , is a German politician and entrepreneur. He is the son of the composer Reinhard Schwarz-Schilling and is married to the author Marie-Luise Schwarz-Schilling with whom he has two children...

, 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...

.

Members of the Presidency who stepped down under pressure from the Office of the High Representative: Mirko Šarović
Mirko Šarovic
Mirko Šarović is a Bosnian Serb politician, former Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina....

, Ante Jelavić
Ante Jelavic
Ante Jelavić is a Croat politician and former Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina.Jelavić was born in 1963 in Podprolog, Vrgorac, Croatia, then Yugoslavia, and was elected to the post as a candidate of the Croatian Democratic Union of Bosnia and Herzegovina.Ante Jelavić served as...

, Dragan Čović
Dragan Covic
Dragan Čović is a Croat politician from Bosnia and Herzegovina. Čović is the leader of the Croatian Democratic Union of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Currently Čović is under indictment from the State Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina for misuse of office.-Career:Čović worked for the airplane...

. Alija Izetbegović
Alija Izetbegovic
Alija Izetbegović was a Bosniak activist, lawyer, author, philosopher and politician, who, in 1990, became the first president of Bosnia and Herzegovina. He served in this role until 1996, when he became a member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, serving until 2000...

 also withdrew from the Presidency.

In February 2000, the Supreme Court ruled that the structure of the Council of Ministers was unconstitutional; a new structure is being negotiated.

Federation president and vice-president in 1999: Ejup Ganić
Ejup Ganic
Ejup Ganić, PhD was President of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina from 1997 to 1999 and again from 2000 to 2001.-Biography:Ganić was born in Sebečevo village near Novi Pazar, Serbia...


and Ivo Andrić-Lužanski
Ivo Andrić-Lužanski
Ivo Andrić-Lužanski is a Croat politician of Bosnia and Herzegovina, a member of the Croatian Democratic Union of Bosnia and Herzegovina. He served twice as President of the Federation of Bosnia Herzegovina Ivo Andrić-Lužanski (born 1956) is a Croat politician of Bosnia and Herzegovina, a member...

.

Past RS presidents: Radovan Karadžić
Radovan Karadžic
Radovan 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...

, Biljana Plavšić
Biljana Plavšic
Biljana 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...

, Nikola Poplašen
Nikola Poplašen
Nikola Poplašen is a former Bosnian Serb politician. He was the president of Republika Srpska for 6 months from 1998 through 1999.-References:...

, Mirko Šarović
Mirko Šarovic
Mirko Šarović is a Bosnian Serb politician, former Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina....

, Dragan Čavić
Dragan Cavic
Dragan Čavić was the President of Republika Srpska 2002-2006. He was Vice President of Republika Srpska between 2000 and 2002.-References:...

, Milan Jelić
Milan Jelic
Dr. 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....

.

RS president Nikola Poplašen
Nikola Poplašen
Nikola Poplašen is a former Bosnian Serb politician. He was the president of Republika Srpska for 6 months from 1998 through 1999.-References:...

 was removed by the OHR on 5 March 1999.

Legislative branch

The Parliamentary Assembly or Parliamentarna skupština is the main legislative body in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It consists of two chambers
Bicameralism
In the government, bicameralism is the practice of having two legislative or parliamentary chambers. Thus, a bicameral parliament or bicameral legislature is a legislature which consists of two chambers or houses....

:
  • the House of Peoples
    House of Peoples of Bosnia and Herzegovina
    The House of Peoples of Bosnia And Herzegovina is one of the two chambers of the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with the other chamber being the House of Representatives of Bosnia and Herzegovina....

     or Dom naroda
  • the National House of Representatives
    House of Representatives of Bosnia and Herzegovina
    The House of Representatives of Bosnia and Herzegovina , is one of the two chambers of the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with the other being the House of Peoples of Bosnia and HerzegovinaThe house of representatives of BiH consists of 42 members which are elected by...

     or Predstavnički dom/Zastupnički dom


The Parliamentary Assembly is responsible for:
  • enacting legislation as necessary to implement decisions of the Presidency or to carry out the responsibilities of the Assembly under the Constitution.
  • deciding upon the sources and amounts of revenues for the operations of the institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina and international obligations of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
  • approving the budget for the institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
  • deciding ratify treaties and agreements.
  • other matters as are necessary to carry out its duties of as are assigned to it by mutual agreement of the Entities.


Bosnia and Herzegovina did not have a permanent election law
Election law
Election law is a discipline falling at the juncture of constitutional law and political science. It researches "the politics of law and the law of politics"...

 until 2001, during which time a draft law specified four-year terms for the state and first-order administrative division entity legislatures. The final election law was passed and publicized on 9 September 2001.

House of Peoples

The House of Peoples includes 15 delegates who serve two-year terms. Two-thirds of them come from the Federation (5 Croats and 5 Bosniaks) and one-third from the RS (5 Serbs). Nine members of the House of Peoples constitutes a quorum, provided that at least three delegates from each group are present. Federation representatives are selected by the House of Peoples of the Federation, which has 58 seats (17 Bosniak, 17 Croat, 17 Serb, 7 others) and whose members are delegated by cantonal assemblies to serve 4-year terms. RS representatives are selected by the 28-member Republika Srpska Council of Peoples which was established in the Republika Srpska National Assembly; each constituent nation has eight delegates, "others" have four delegates.

House of Representatives

The House of Representatives
House of Representatives of Bosnia and Herzegovina
The House of Representatives of Bosnia and Herzegovina , is one of the two chambers of the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with the other being the House of Peoples of Bosnia and HerzegovinaThe house of representatives of BiH consists of 42 members which are elected by...

 comprises 42 Members, two-thirds elected to serve four-year terms from the Federation (14 Croats and 14 Bosniaks) and one-third elected from the RS (14 Serbs). Federation members come from the Federation House of Representatives with 98 seats whose members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms. RS members come from the RS National Assembly, which has 83 seats and whose members are elected by popular vote to serve 4-year terms.

Political parties and elections

Election history

National House of Representatives:
  • elections held 12–13 September 1998:
    • seats by party/coalition - KCD 17, HDZ-BiH 6, SDP-BiH 6, Sloga 4, SDS 4, SRS-RS 2, DNZ 1, NHI 1, RSRS 1
  • elections held 5 October 2002:
    • percent of vote by party/coalition - SDA 21.9%, SDS 14.0%, SBiH 10.5%, SDP 10.4%, SNSD 9.8%, HDZ 9.5%, PDP 4.6%, others 19.3%
    • seats by party/coalition - SDA 10, SDS 5, SBiH 6, SDP 4, SNSD 3, HDZ 5, PDP 2, others 7


House of Peoples:
  • constituted 4 December 1998
  • constituted in fall 2000
  • constituted in January 2003
  • next to be constituted in 2007


Federation House of Representatives:
  • elections held fall 1998:
    • seats by party/coalition - KCD 68, HDZ-BiH 28, SDP-BiH 25, NHI 4, DNZ 3, DSP 2, BPS 2, HSP 2, SPRS 2, BSP 1, KC 1, BOSS 1, HSS 1
  • elections held 5 October 2002:
    • seats by party/coalition - SDA 32, HDZ-BiH 16, SDP 15, SBiH 15, other 20


Federation House of Peoples:
  • constituted November 1998
  • constituted December 2002


Republika Srpska National Assembly:
  • elections held fall 1998
    • seats by party/coalition - SDS 19, KCD 15, SNS 12, SRS-RS 11, SPRS 10, SNSD 6, RSRS 3, SKRS 2, SDP 2, KKO 1, HDZ-BiH 1, NHI 1
  • elections held fall 2000
  • elections held 5 October 2002
    • seats by party/coalition - SDS 26, SNSD 19, PDP 9, SDA 6, SRS 4, SPRS 3, DNZ 3, SBiH 4, SDP 3, others 6

Constitutional Court

The Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina
The Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina is a special court sui generis, whose main role is to be the interpreter and guardian of the Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as stated in Article VI, paragraph 3 of the Constitution , and it is considered to be the highest judicial...

 is the supreme, final arbiter of legal matters. It is composed of nine members: four members are selected by the House of Representatives of the Federation, two by the Assembly of the RS, and three by the President of the European Court of Human Rights
European Court of Human Rights
The European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg is a supra-national court established by the European Convention on Human Rights and hears complaints that a contracting state has violated the human rights enshrined in the Convention and its protocols. Complaints can be brought by individuals or...

 after consultation with the Presidency.

Terms of initial appointees are 5 years, unless they resign or are removed for cause by consensus of the other judges. Once appointed, judges are not eligible for reappointment. Judges subsequently appointed will serve until the age of 70, unless they resign or are removed for cause. Appointments made 5 years after the initial appointments may be governed by a different law of selection, to be determined by the Parliamentary Assembly.

Proceedings of the Court are public, and decisions will be published. Rules of court are adopted by a majority of the Court, and decisions are final and binding.

The Constitutional Court's original jurisdiction lies in deciding any constitutional dispute that arises between the Entities or between Bosnia and Herzegovina and an Entity or Entities. Such disputes may be referred only by a member of the Presidency, by the Chair of the Council of Ministers, by the Chair or Deputy Chair of either chamber of the Parliamentary Assembly, or by one-fourth of the legislature of either Entity.

The Court also has appellate jurisdiction within the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

State Court

The State Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina consists of three divisions - Administrative, Appellate and Criminal - having jurisdiction over cases related to state-level law and appellate jurisdiction over cases initiated in the entities.

A War Crimes Chamber was added in January 2005, and has currently adopted two cases transferred from the ICTY, as well as dozens of war crimes cases initiated in cantonal courts.

The State Court also deals with organized crime, economic crime and corruption cases. For example, former Presidency member Dragan Ćović
Dragan Covic
Dragan Čović is a Croat politician from Bosnia and Herzegovina. Čović is the leader of the Croatian Democratic Union of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Currently Čović is under indictment from the State Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina for misuse of office.-Career:Čović worked for the airplane...

 is currently on trial for involvement in organized crime syndicates.

Human Rights Chamber

The Human Rights Chamber for Bosnia and Herzegovina
Human Rights Chamber for Bosnia and Herzegovina
The Human Rights Chamber for Bosnia and Herzegovina , which was active between March 1996 and 31 December 2003, was a judicial body established in Bosnia and Herzegovina within the Annex 6 to the General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina .-Structure:The Chamber had the mandate...

 (Dom za ljudska prava za Bosnu i Hercegovinu) has displayed activity between March 1996 and 31 December 2003. It was a judicial body established under Annex 6 to the General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina (Dayton Peace Agreement).

Entities

The entities each have a Supreme Court. Each entity also has a number of lower courts. There are 10 cantonal courts in the Federation, plus a number of municipal courts. The Republika Srpska has five municipal courts.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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