Entity Coat of Arms in BH Are Not Constitutional

The Federal coat of arms does not represent Serbs nor the RS coat Croats and Bosniaks, thus the Constitutional court rescinded them.

The Constitutional Court of Bosnia-Herzegovina rescinded the Bosnian Federation's coat of arms and flag, as well as the Bosnian Serb entity of Republika Srpska coat of arms and anthem, because they do not represent all three constitutive peoples of this country.

This decision was reached because neither the Bosniak-Croat entity, the Bosnian Federation, nor the RS respected the former Court order, according to which they were supposed to change the symbols within and harmonise them with the BH Constitution. This deadline expired almost four months ago, that is, at the beginning October of last year.

The RS National Assembly requested a dealline extension for the coat of arms and anthem change, as well as the re-examination of this decision, but the request was refused.

There are no Serbs on the Federal coat of arms

As the Law on the Federal flag and coat of arms says, there is a shield with a gold-yellow lily on a green background on one quarter of the coat of arms. On the second coat quarter is the historic Croatian crest with 25 red and white square fields, and in the lower part of the coat, which is blue, are 10 white six-pointed stars in a circular formation, which take up half of the coat. BH Federation flag is a rectangular tricolour with vertically aligned fields from the left to the right: red, white and green. In the middle of the flag is the BN Federation coat of arms.

Therefore, the Serb people are not represented on this coat of arms.

There are no Croats and Bosniaks on the RS coat of arms

The Bosnian Serb entity of Republika Srpska coat of arms is consisted of “on a red shield, overheaded by the golden royal crown, a two-headed silver eagle in take off, armed with gold, with golden tongue and legs, the chest covered by a red shield with the Serbian cross, a silver cross with four firesteels.

The four firesteels are what is most commonly referred to as the four letters S. A firesteel is actually a steel tool for making sparks, i.e. fire. In Serbian history, together with the cross, it forms the first Serbian recognised coat of arms. Thus one of the definitions of this crest is “with fire shall we defend the cross”. RS anthem is God the Righteous.

Therefore, just as the Serbs are not in the Federal, the Bosniaks and Croats are not represented in the coat of arms and the anthem of the Republika Srpska.

It had to happen on St. Sava`s Day

RS Premier Milorad Dodik, considers the court was supposed to take into account the activities linked with the election campaign and the formation of authority, and he reminded how the RS Assembly formed the Commission for the implementation of the earlier BH Constitutional court decision.

-I believe it is not right of the Constitutional court to reach the decision of the retracting of the anthem on St. Sava`s day- said Dodik to the Nezavisne novine daily.

Saint Sava is considered the founder of the independent Serbian Orthodox Church

Ahmet Hadzipasic, BH Federation Prime Minister says he has not yet seen the BH Constitutional court decision but he would do everything he can to implement it.

-I cannot comment until I see the decision, but I will act as the court ordered. We are all in this together, the parliament and the FBH president- said Hadzipasic to the Nezavisne novine.

The decision will be put into effect when it is published in the Sluzbeni glasnik (Official publication).