A bill banning fascist and neofascist organisations in Bosnia-Herzegovina on Wednesday did not receive the necessary support in the Bosnian parliament's lower house because its adoption was opposed by deputies from the Serb entity.
The bill, put forward by the country's government, the Council of Ministers, outlaws the registration and operation of fascist and neofascist organisations as well as the display of their symbols.
The bill was designed to prevent the fomenting of ethnic, racial or religious hatred among the peoples and citizens of Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Members of parliament from the Party of Independent Social Democrats (SNSD), led by Milorad Dodik, asked that Chetnik organisations be left out from the bill, saying that the Chetnik movement was a liberation movement and that its World War II leader Draza Mihailovic was actually one of the leaders of the anti-fascist struggle.
Social Democratic Party (SDP) MP Denis Becirevic said the explanation was absurd and an insult to more than 100,000 people killed by members of the Chetnik movement in WWII alone
