Press Statement on the Serb Radical Party

Members of the SRS have recently made statements in support of the first point of their party Program, which advocates the "union of the whole Serb people and establishment of a governmental community in the complete Serb national territory that will include Serbia, Montenegro, Republika Srpska and Serb Krajina Republic". In both the Program and their recent statements, SRS party members claim they will unite the "Serb countries" by legitimate democratic and political means. The High Representative and OSCE, in their ongoing discussions with the SRS have reminded the SRS, and in particular, its president, Nikola Poplasen that there are no legitimate democratic or political means by which the four areas referred to can be united or the territory of BiH as presently defined, changed. The High Representative refers to the relevant legal provisions.

The SRS, in its statement signed on registration, agreed to abide by the Peace Agreement. Article 1 of the Peace Agreement specifically requires the parties to "refrain from any action, by threat of use of force or otherwise against the territorial integrity of political independence of Bosnia and Herzegovina or any other state. This article specifically excludes the possibility of changing the territorial integrity of BiH as presently constituted by any means. Article III(5) of the Constitution requires BiH to preserve the "sovereignty, territorial integrity, political independence and international personality of BiH". Article III(2)(a) of the Constitution only permits "special parallel relationships with neighbouring states consistent with the sovereignty and territorial integrity of BiH."

Any statement by the SRS that the borders of BiH can be altered to allow for the unification of the "Serb Lands" is contrary to the Constitution of BiH and the Peace Agreement. Any person or party who wishes to play a political role in Bosnia and Herzegovina is obliged to abide by the Constitution and the Peace Agreement. Behaviour contrary to the Peace settlement by such persons or parties would put them in a fully illegal position. The International Community solemnly declares that it cannot tolerate any violation of the fundamental principles of the Constitution and the Peace Agreement, and that all those within or without Bosnia and Herzegovina who are obliged to abide by the Peace settlement will bear the consequences of their acts contrary to peace.