state-level Constitutional Court

The Supreme Court of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina has confirmed a first-instance verdict sentencing Hajriz Doglod to six-and-a-half years in prison for crimes against the civilian population in the Vitez area in 1993.

The association's website says it is a non-political organisation whose main aim is "encouraging the realisation of the principles on which Republika Srpska is based".

High Representative Valentin Inzko, Bosnia and Herzegovina's top international official, warned of possible legal chaos late Wednesday after the Bosnian state parliament failed to adopt important amendments to criminal law procedures on issues like surveillance and the status of protected witness.

Former Croatian President Stjepan Mesic claimed on Monday that the leaders of Bosnia and Herzegovina's Serbs and Croats want to break up the country - a goal that could eventually lead to war.

Dodik declared himself unafraid of arrest on Monday evening after Bosnia's state prosecution called him to appear at a hearing in connection with Sunday's banned referendum in the Serb-led entity.

The Republika Srpska leader told N1 TV that the state could not arrest the leader of a people.

Initial results from the disputed referendum on Sunday in Republika Srpska showed 99.79 per cent of voters said 'yes' to celebrating their annual 'statehood' holiday on January 9 after 71.09 per cent of votes were counted - rejecting a ban by the country's highest court.

Polls opened on Sunday morning in the disputed referendum in Republika Srpska on the entity's national day despite objections from the EU and the US.

Voters are casting ballots at about 1,900 polling stations across the mainly Serb entity, one of two in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Dodik said on Friday that the referendum would only be cancelled if the Bosnia's state-level Constitutional Court reversed its ruling that the entity's annual statehood celebration, the Day of Republika Srpska on January 9, was unconstitutional.

The plan to hold the referendum in Bosnia's Serb-dominated Republika Srpska entity - widely criticised as potentially divisive - appeared to be in disarray after only representatives of the ruling coalition turned up for a meeting on the issue called by President Milorad Dodik on Friday.

Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic said on Wednesday that he will participate in the Republika Srpska Day commemoration but insisted that his decision will not endanger relations between Belgrade and Sarajevo.