What do the elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina bring?
On 4 October Bosnia and Herzegovina holds general elections, in which citizens will elect a total of 518 officials at different levels. About 3.4 million citizens have the right to vote, and voting will take place at about 5,000 polling stations. The election campaign lasts until 3 October at 7 a.m., when the election silence begins. 82 political entities are taking part in the elections.
The political system of the country is considered one of the most complex in Europe. It was created by the Dayton Peace Agreement of 1995, which ended the war. The country is divided into two entities, the Federation of BiH and Republika Srpska, and there is also the separate Brčko District. At state level, the country is led by a Presidency with three members: one Bosniak, one Croat and one Serb. The members take turns as chair every eight months. Voters also will elect MPs in several parliaments, as well as the president of Republika Srpska.
The main novelty of these elections is technology. 6,000 biometric devices for the identification of voters and 6,000 scanners for the ballots will be used for the first time. The results will be transmitted electronically for the first time too. The Central Election Commission signed a contract worth 74.5 million marks, or about 44 million dollars, for this equipment. The aim is to prevent double voting, voting in someone else's name and other fraud. The equipment was tested previously in a pilot project led by the EU.
Analysts warn that the campaign is marked once again by ethnic divisions. According to them, the parties rarely talk about the economy, education, health or the path to the EU. Bosnia and Herzegovina received candidate status for membership of the EU in December 2022. In March 2024 EU leaders decided to open accession negotiations with the country. Milorad Dodik, the long-time leader of the Bosnian Serbs, cannot run in these elections. The Court of BiH banned him from holding public office for six years.
The results will show whether the new technology will increase trust in elections. They also will decide who will lead the country for the next four years.