Bosnia and Herzegovina heads to polls

BELGRADE, Serbia (AA) – East European Muslim republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina will hold its eighth local elections since 1992 on Sunday.

A total of 143 mayors and 3,200 council members will be elected in the two entities in the country — the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBIH) and the Republika Srpska (RS) and the Brcko District, which has a special status.

Bosniak Muslim parties will participate with different alliances, while Serb and Croat parties are leaning toward a single alliance or candidate.

There are 110 parties, 58 alliances, 76 independent candidates and 43 minority representatives participating for the votes of 3.4 million registered voters, according to the data by the Central Election Commission of Bosnia and Herzegovina (CIK).

The vast majority of parties are Bosniak Muslims. The high rate brings with it a large number of candidates and alliances.

In areas where the Orthodox Christian ethnic Serb population is dense, parties are nominating a single candidate, while Bosniak Muslim parties are not nominating candidates in those areas, and some Bosniak Muslim candidates are withdrawing because of pressure.

While Serbs are already declaring victory in municipalities where a single candidate of theirs is nominated, the Croats are also following a similar policy.

– Serbian, Croatian establishing authority over their voter bases; Bosniak Muslim Brotherhood and thes falling victim to democratic pluralism

“From the 1990s, when the multi-party system was put into effect, to the present day, political pluralism in Bosnia and Herzegovina has only been fully implemented among Bosniak Muslims. This situation is clearly observed in the number of parties participating in each election and the alliances formed after the elections,” said Dr. Mustafa Krupalija, an associate professor of political science and international relations at the International University of Sarajevo.

Krupalija said it is a positive development for democratic societies but poses a “latent danger” in countries where ethnic discrimination is intense, such as Bosnia and Herzegovina.

“While Serb and Croat nationalist parties establish an unshakable authority over their own voter bases, Bosniaks are falling victim to democratic pluralism that has evolved into political division,” he said.

Bosnia was hit by heavy rains and landslides Friday killed 18 victims as it prepares for the election.

After a meeting with relevant institutions and responses from the competent administrations of civil protection, the Central Election Commission announced it will decide if the elections will be held in the disaster-hit cities in the Federation of Bosnia Herzegovina entity.

Education is suspended in flood-affected areas, and public transport vehicles are reported to be out of service.