The US says it is ready to respond to anti-Dayton and partition action in Bosnia

The United States has been clear that they are prepared to respond to divisive actions and against the Dayton Agreement of local actors in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the American Embassy Free Europe in Sarajevo told Radio Europe on Wednesday.

A day earlier, on Tuesday, Republika Srpska's Electoral Law (RS) -- the Serbian entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina -- was published in the Official Journal of this entity.

Republika Srpska's Election Law envisions the adoption of state competencies of subjects in the field of elections. This implies that the RS Republican Election Commission assumes the role of Bosnia and Herzegovina's Central Election Commission in organising local elections, as well as elections for the Parliamentary Assembly of entity and for RS president and vice president.

The Parliamentary Assembly adopted this law in late March.

The American Embassy called it unconstitutional and contrary to the Dayton Agreement the establishment of a parallel electoral system by the RS government.

“All elections held under a parallel unconstitutional electoral system would not have legitimacy, and those involved in their organisation would participate in undemocratic, unconstitutional and anti-Dayton” actions, the American Embassy's response to Radio Free Europe said.

With the 1995 Dayton Agreement ending the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina, this country is divided into two autonomous entities -- the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Republika Srpska -- plus the Brcko District, which is a self-government administrative unit. Together they are under the umbrella of the federal government and the rotating presidency.

Since then, entities have no jurisdiction, nor can they organise elections throughout Bosnia's territory. Bosnia and Herzegovina's constitution does not grant entity rights to election development.

All general and local elections across Bosnia's territory, since Bosnia's Electoral Law was passed in 2001 to date, have been held and monitored by Bosnia and Herzegovina's Central Election Commission.

Prior to the law's adoption, the Interim Election Commission, which was founded with the Dayton Peace Agreement, has carried out this job.

Meanwhile, local elections in Bosnia have been announced on 6 October, in line with changes imposed on March 26th by the top international representative in Bosnia, Christian Schmidt, who oversees implementation of the Dayton Agreement.

In October, more than 3.4 million registered voters will elect 143 mayors and cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and about 3,200 local assembly members.