Sarajevo/Banja Luka - Bosnian Muslim and Croat representatives in the Bosnian Serb Parliament vetoed Tuesday a new coat of arms for the Bosnian Serb entity, the Srpska Republic, on grounds that it reminded them of the label of a German beer. Using the veto given to each ethnic group in the parliament in order to be able to protect vital national interests, Muslims and Croats in the Srpska National Assembly blocked the vote by the Serb majority to adopt the new coat of arms with a two-headed eagle on a red shield held by two lions.
Tomislav Tomljenovic, representing Bosnian Croats in the Bosnian Serb Parliament, told a press conference in Banja Luka the proposed coat of arms was almost identical with the logo of German's Kaltenberg beer.
Bosnia-Herzegovina was administratively divided into two ethnic entities, the Srpska Republic and the Muslim-Croat Federation, by the Dayton Peace Agreement that stopped the country's 1992-95 war.
Each entity has its president, government and parliament, consisted of representatives from the three ethnic groups in the country - Muslims (Bosniaks), Croats and Serbs.
