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SARAJEVO, October 3 (FENA) – The general elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina were well organized and competitive, with respect for fundamental freedoms during the campaign. However, failed reform efforts, and widespread distrust in public institutions and rhetoric that causes ethnic divisions, continue to characterize the electoral environment, this is the assessment of international observers, who today at a press conference in Sarajevo presented their preliminary findings and conclusions of the monitoring of the election process in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Pascal Allizard, special coordinator and leader of the OSCE short-term observation mission, pointed out that the growing divisions along ethnic lines and different views on the future of the country burden the functioning of democratic institutions in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
"Equal suffrage is not yet guaranteed. Due to the failed negotiations of the political parties, the electoral legislative framework was not reformed, however, the recently introduced changes strengthened certain aspects of the electoral process," said Allizard, stating that the election campaign was characterized by a lack of public debate and the use of divisive language.
He underlined that the efforts to successfully manage the election process must be accompanied by similar efforts to resolve the continuous political deadlock that prevents real economic progress in BiH.
The head of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, Stefan Schennach, recalled the involvement of the CoE in BiH, pointing out that now that the citizens of BiH have voted, politicians and political parties should understand this as a mandate to work for the future of their country and the perspective of European integration.
"It is especially important to give the younger generation of voters the feeling that their future is in their own country," said Schennach, urging them to bring different ethnic groups closer together and overcome existing divisions.
The importance of overcoming divisions and strengthening trust in BiH and prioritizing economic issues as part of the election campaign was also pointed out by the head of the Delegation of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, Irene Charalambides, emphasizing the importance of the media for the development of democratic processes.
Reflecting on the day of the elections, she said that the elections were managed in a good way, efficiently, transparently and in accordance with the established deadlines, and that the polling stations were characterized by a peaceful atmosphere, praising the expertise of those who were engaged as part of the polling committees.
Head of Delegation of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, Mimi Kodheli, assessed that the current elections were held at a specific moment, at a time when there is a war in Europe (the war against Ukraine), which, as she stated, aroused ugly associations among the citizens of BiH, who remember the horrors of war.
"Democracy is resilient, but it must be protected and nurtured... Our participation in this observation mission is a clear indication of our commitment to BiH," said Kodheli, calling for strengthening efforts to build a better future for BiH, and for the well-being of all its citizens.
Head of the Delegation of the European Parliament, Andreas Schieder, reminded of the importance of reforms that will ensure the progress of Bosnia and Herzegovina on its European path in order to become a functional state and to ensure the integrity of the electoral process.
The head of the ODIHR (OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights) election observation mission, Ambassador Peter Tejler, reminded of the fundamental principles and chronology of election monitoring in BiH, stating that 12 teams were engaged and that the observers were present at 1,800 polling stations in BiH.
As announced, in the coming days, the observation of post-election developments will be continued in order to make a comprehensive assessment of the entire election process, which will be published in the final report with appropriate recommendations.
The international election observation mission at the General Elections in BiH had a total of 467 observers, of whom 332 experts were deployed from the ODIHR, 84 parliamentarians and staff from the OSCE PA, 23 from the PACE, 16 from the NATO PA and 12 from the European Parliament.
(FENA) S. R.
