News in English     | 08.10.2018. 19:30 |

International observers: Elections characterized by divisions along ethnic lines

FENA Hana Imamović

SARAJEVO, October 8 (FENA) - The general elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina went on in peaceful atmosphere, but were characterized by divisions along ethnic lines, it is said in the opinion of the International Observation Mission that was in charge of observing the elections which today presented its post-election report.

The mission was comprised of several delegations who, in today's press conference, said that long-term shortcomings still remain, and recent reform talks have been halted due to political disagreements which continue to hinder confidence in public institutions.

The report was presented by Special Coordinator and Head of the OSCE Short-term Monitoring Mission, Mavroudis Voridis, Head of the delegation of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) Dame Cheryl Gillan, Head of the OSCE PA Parliamentary Delegation Pia Kauma, Head of the European Parliament Delegation Frank Engel, Head of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly (NATO PA), Rasa Juknevičiene, and Head of the ODIHR Long-term Election Observation Mission, Peter Taylor.

Their assessment is that voters were offered a large selection of candidates who could lead their campaign freely, but the campaign focused on attacks on individuals and spreading of fear more than providing alternatives and clear ways of resolving issues in BiH.

They also noted that the media's dependence on political and business interests often led to biased reporting, and there were cases of inappropriate attempts to influence voters in favor of candidates who currently hold office and this problem was not effectively treated.

Voridis especially emphasized the complexity and the shortcomings of the post-Dayton system, which, he believes, should have been adequately changed a long time ago, and called on representatives of institutions not to waste any more time and immediately begin to address the necessary reforms.

“Limitation and discrimination of the right to stand as a candidate based on ethnicity and residence is contrary to the OSCE, Council of Europe and other international standards. The judgments of the European Court of Human Rights have not been carried out, and the formation of power is questionable due to non-implementation of the Constitutional Court's judgments,” warned Voridis.

Gillan from the Council of Europe believes that voters could freely choose from a wide range of parties and candidates, but recalled that the elections were held again in violation of the European Convention on Human Rights regarding discrimination based on ethnicity and place of residence.

Head of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly delegation, Kauma, said that young generations deserve more political alternatives, adding that the regulatory framework does not provide transparency and accountability for campaign financing.

“Cash donations are allowed and there is no way for all financial transactions to be carried out through these accounts that have been approved for campaign purposes; this affects the inability to track funds used in the campaign,” she underlined.

Head of the European Parliament delegation, Frank Engel, also pointed to the problem with the financing of political parties in the campaign, and announced that the EP would continue to deal with BiH, saying that they want a single interlocutor and partner on behalf of BiH.

“If leaders plan to serve their own ethnic groups, they need to consider what this will represent for the country, and that will certainly be very bad for BiH. Citizens who advocate for their rights in the streets do not trust the institutions, and I hope there will be no other round of these elections on the streets, because it would mean that the elections failed," said Engel.

Head of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly's delegation Juknevičiene believes that BiH should address fundamental issues related to the constitutional and legal framework, although many electoral administration officials have showed their commitment to the functioning of the system.

Commenting the work of the Central Election Commission (CEC), they said that the process was implemented effectively despite the limited budget and staffing shortage, and the atmosphere of uninterrupted criticism and allegations related to technical preparations.

Observers received information about the concerns about the accuracy of the Central Voter Register, especially regarding the deceased who are still on the list, but it was pointed out that the CEC is taking measures to improve the accuracy of the register.

A lack of confidence was noted at all levels of the election administration, calling into question impartiality, including numerous inquiries about the credibility of allegations that the election candidates were trading places to establish control over certain polling committees that worked transparently, but encountered some difficulties in monitoring procedures in particular during the counting process.

Head of the ODIHR Election Observation Mission, Peter Taylor, emphasized that basic freedoms were respected, but at the same time there is a long-standing lack of trust in the country's institutions, and announced that recommendations in the final report of the ODIHR would be made for the identified deficiencies.

The International Election Observation Mission consists of some 320 observers from 43 countries, including about 250 observers that ODIHR has hired on a long-term and short-term basis, 30 parliamentarians and members of OSCE PA staff, 18 from the PACE, nine from the EP, as well as eight from NATO PA.

(FENA) S. R.

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