Dario Jovanovic from the “Pod Lupom” Coalition listed two reasons why citizens should vote in Bosnia and Herzegovina’s (BiH) local elections on Sunday.
Interview question: “Research by the “Pod Lupom” Coalition has shown that one in seven citizens of BiH does not trust the electoral process, while one in four has encountered some form of electoral corruption. Is this shocking or alarming in any way?”
“It may sound unusual, but it wasn’t shocking to me. The results were identical to those from 2018, and perhaps the most troubling finding is that one in four citizens witnessed some form of electoral fraud. Not all the findings are negative, though. As many as 83% of BiH citizens support the introduction of new technologies as a way to combat electoral fraud and manipulation,” Jovanovic said.
Interview question: “How do you explain the paradox that, despite everything, citizens trust election candidates the most – those who may be involved in fraud – while having the least trust in the government and political parties?”
“It may sound paradoxical because, at the same time, the largest number of citizens have the least trust in authorities and political entities. Never before have candidates been the actors in the process who enjoy the highest trust of citizens. This can be explained by the fact that we have local elections with 26.000 candidates, and many citizens know these candidates, who may be family members or friends. I must say that previously, the “Pod lupom” Coalition and the Central Election Commission (CEC) alternated as the most trusted by citizens,” Jovanovic explained.
Interview question: “Given all these facts, how can we convince citizens that it’s worth voting on Sunday?”
“Research shows that seven out of ten citizens will go out and vote. Why should citizens vote? Voting is the only and best way to ensure that no one misuses your ballot to vote in your place. Even if you feel there is no one to vote for, it’s still important to go out and, in the worst case, invalidate your ballot. Otherwise, all those unused ballots are subject to electoral manipulation. Another good reason to vote is that we have the conditions for the fairest elections in the country’s history, thanks to the integrity package that has significantly improved the electoral process,” Jovanovic concluded, N1 writes.
