BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

 

CONSTITUTION OF BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

 

 

Article I: Bosnia and Herzegovina

 

2      Democratic Principles.

Bosnia and Herzegovina shall be a democratic state, which shall operate under the rule of law and with free and democratic elections.

 

7      Citizenship.

There shall be a citizenship of Bosnia and Herzegovina, to be regulated by the Parliamentary Assembly, and a citizenship of each Entity, to be regulated by each Entity, provided that:

 

a      All citizens of either Entity are thereby citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

 

b      No person shall be deprived of Bosnia and Herzegovina or Entity citizenship arbitrarily or so as to leave him or her stateless.

 

No person shall be deprived of Bosnia and Herzegovina or Entity citizenship on any ground such as sex, race, color, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, association with a national minority, property, birth or other status.

 

c      All persons who were citizens of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina immediately prior to the entry into force of this Constitution are citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The citizenship of persons who were naturalized after April 6, 1992 and before the entry into force of this Constitution will be regulated by the Parliamentary Assembly.

 

d      Citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina may hold the citizenship of another state, provided that there is a bilateral agreement, approved by the Parliamentary Assembly in accordance with ohr.int/gfa/">Article IV(4)(d), between Bosnia and Herzegovina and that state governing this matter. Persons with dual citizenship may vote in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Entities only if Bosnia and Herzegovina is their country of residence.

 

e      A citizen of Bosnia and Herzegovina abroad shall enjoy the protection of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Each Entity may issue passports of Bosnia and Herzegovina to its citizens as regulated by the Parliamentary Assembly. Bosnia and Herzegovina may issue passports to citizens not issued a passport by an Entity. There shall be a central register of all passports issued by the Entities and by Bosnia and Herzegovina.

 

Article IV: Parliamentary Assembly

 

2      House of Representatives.

The House of Representatives shall comprise 42 Members, two- thirds elected from the territory of the Federation, one-third from the territory of the Republika Srpska.

 

a      Members of the House of Representatives shall be directly elected from their Entity in accordance with an election law to be adopted by the Parliamentary Assembly.

The first election, however, shall take place in accordance with Annex 3 to the General Framework Agreement.

 

b      A majority of all members elected to the House of Representatives shall comprise a quorum.

 

Article V: Presidency

The Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina shall consist of three Members: one Bosniac and one Croat, each directly elected from the territory of the Federation, and one Serb directly elected from the territory of the Republika Srpska.

 

1.     Election and Term.

 

a      Members of the Presidency shall be directly elected in each Entity (with each voter voting to fill one seat on the Presidency) in accordance with an election law adopted by the Parliamentary Assembly.

The first election, however, shall take place in accordance with Annex 3 to the General Framework Agreement. Any vacancy in the Presidency shall be filled from the relevant Entity in accordance with a law to be adopted by the Parliamentary Assembly.

 

b      The term of the Members of the Presidency elected in the first election shall be two years; the term of Members subsequently elected shall be four years.

Members shall be eligible to succeed themselves once and shall thereafter be ineligible for four years.

 

 

Article IX: General Provisions

1.

No person who is serving a sentence imposed by the International Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, and no person who is under indictment by the Tribunal and who has failed to comply with an order to appear before the Tribunal, may stand as a candidate or hold any appointive, elective, or other public office in the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina.