The House of Peoples was expected to adopt a law defining the amount of allowances to be granted to holders of war decorations and the bill, submitted by the entity government, was drawn up to treat equally holders of decorations from the former Army of Bosnia-Herzegovina and the Croatian Defence Council (HVO).
Deputy Vahid Heco, however, moved an amendment denying holders of decorations not verified by Bosnian authorities the right to receive the allowances.
The amendment, which received the support of Bosniak deputies, exempts members of the HVO from receiving allowances from the entity budget.
They were all awarded decorations from the Republic of Croatia because the war-time community of Herceg-Bosna did not have its own decorations.
The president of the House of Peoples, Slavko Matic, also walked out of the session.
Deputy Heco, however, said he was confident that his decision to move the amendment was right because HVO members were decorated by another state "for which they had fought".