Bosnia's Central Election Commission

A new report by the Bosnian branch of the watchdog organisation Transparency International, based on two months of monitoring of the way political parties and candidates have operated ahead of October's general election, has registered some 1,300 examples of the abuse of public resources for poliitical purposes.

Bosniak political parties are to boycott re-run local elections in the town of Srebrenica on February 21, claiming the authorities are not doing enough to tackle irregularities which they allege worked to the benefit of Serb candidates in the original vote in November.

Officers of Bosnia's State Investigation and Protection Agency, SIPA, arrested three people on Tuesday in Srebrenica and the Tuzla area for election fraud during local elections in mid-November.

Bosnia's Central Election Commission, CIK, has postponed local elections due in October for six weeks, to November 15, after political rows held up the adoption of a budget for 2020 and funding for the ballot within the legally permitted deadline to start preparations. 

Under strong local and international pressure, Bosnia's Central Election Commission, CIK, on Tuesday adopted a decision fixing the country's dysfunctional election law and enabling the establishment of a new government in the Federation entity, which it has lacked since last October's elections.

A total of 3,352,933 voters are eligible to vote at 5,794 polling stations at home and abroad for some 53 parties, 36 coalitions, and 34 independent candidates that have been confirmed as eligible to run by Bosnia's Central Election Commission.

Bosnia and Herzegovina entered its official pre-election campaign period on Friday, ahead of parliamentary and presidential elections that will be held on October 7.

A total of 3,352,933 registered voters may choose between 53 parties, 36 coalitions, and 34 independent candidates that have been confirmed as eligible to run by Bosnia's Central Election Commission.

Bosnia's Central Election Commission, the CIK, has been accused of perpetuating discrimination in the country after it ruled that Svetozar Pudaric - an independent candidate for the election in October - could not stand as he is Bosnian Serb living in the wrong entity - the mainly Bosniak and Croatian Federation entity.

While ordinary people and investors are emigrating because of Bosnia's deepening political crisis and poor business environment, local political parties seem to be flourishing, thanks to steady and ample financial support from the state budget and from their membership fees.

The main Bosnian Croat party, the Croatian Democratic Union, HDZ, pulled off an expected victory in the heavily monitored renewed elections in the divided southwestern town of Stolac, Bosnia's Central Election Commission reported.

HDZ candidate Stjepan Boskovic was elected new-old mayor of Stolac and the HDZ also won 49 per cent of the votes for the town council.