The flags of the Federation B&H and Srpska revoked

The Constitutional Court of B&H, on its 37th plenary session on January 27th, 2007, reached the veridct to abrogate Articles 1 and 2 of the Law on the coat of arms and the flag of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Zakon o grbu i zastavi Federacije Bosne i Hercegovine, «Službene novine Federacije BiH» nr. 21/96 and 26/96) and Articles 2 and 3 of the Constitutional Law on the flagm the coat of arms and the anthem of the Republic of Srpska (Ustavni zakon o zastavi, grbu i himni Republike Srpske, «Službeni glasnik Republike Srpske» nr. 19/92), by which the coat of arms and the flag of the Federation and the coat of arms and the anthem of RS are revoked. The Court determined that the Parliament of the Federation and the People's Assembly of Srpska did not implemet the order of the court decision of March 31st, 2006 (Djelimična odluka Ustavnog suda Bosne i Hercegovine, broj U 4/04 od 31. ožujka 2006.), which determines that mentioned articles are inconstitutional, and which orders to the Parliament and the Assembly to change them within six months. As they have not done so, the Court abrogates the articles now.

According to the Press Release by the Constitutional Court, the final text of the decision shall be verified on oen of the subsequent sessions of the Court and then published in the official gazette «Službeni glasnik Bosne i Hercegovine». The articles are abroagted with the day of issue of the decision in the gazette.

As media report, in the Federation the revoking of the symbols produced almost no reactions. Some officials already started to remove them from their offices, while other wait for the decision to be issued. On the other hand, in Srpska the decision produces much dismay. Igor Radojičić, president of People's Assembly stated that the decision on symbols is way too emotional question to be made in such manner, and he questions the legal validity of the Constitutional Court decision: "There is no law on the Constitutional Court so it works according to the rules it prescribes for itself, which is legal nonsense."

While one acknowlage that the decision of the Court is irrevocable, other reminds us that in B&H nothing is as it appears, and that one should wait for the decision to be published and to the begining of its implementation, to conclude that these symbols really are becoming a part of the history.