In several municipalities and cities, there is a possibility of holding early local elections. However, it is more likely that it will be confirmed that some mayors in the General Elections were candidate decoys. For some, they are political fraud.
Let’s start with the capital. The mayor of Sarajevo, Benjamina Karic (SDP), was elected as a representative in the Assembly of the Canton Sarajevo (CS). She and several other leaders of the local communities will have to decide whether they will remain in their current positions or take over those for which they were elected. If they decide on legislative, and parliamentary functions or those in governments of higher levels of government, then it will be necessary to hold early elections in local communities. In the case of Karic, the Sarajevo City Council will elect a new mayor.
The mayor of the municipality of Novi Grad Sarajevo, Semir Efendic (SBiH), was also elected as a cantonal representative. After the election, he publicly stated several times that he would not be a cantonal representative, after all, that is, that he was interested in being the prime minister of CS. It should be reminded that Efendic was elected as a cantonal representative in the 2018 General Election, but he did not accept the position even then.
The mayor of Ilidza, Nermin Muzur (NiP), is also a potential cantonal prime minister. Last week, he declared that he would agree to be prime minister if that is the wish of the parties that will form the government. Muzur was not a candidate in the last election but is mentioned as a possible prime minister.
Moreover, Jasmin Imamovic (SDP), the mayor of Tuzla, was elected as a member of the state parliament and he is the only one of those highlighted here who announced that after two decades of work as mayor, he will take on a new political position. This means that for the time being Tuzla is most certain to have early local elections.
Fuad Kasumovic, the Mayor of Zenica, was elected as a cantonal representative, and the mayor of Bihac, Suhret Fazlic (Pomak), was also elected as a cantonal representative. Djemal Memagic (SDA) is the mayor of Olovo and was elected as an entity parliamentarian.
It is unlikely that the majority of those mentioned will take over the functions for which they were elected. This was expected even before the General Election, which is why some call these candidates decoys – the parties are aware that they can get a large number of votes and thereby secure mandates in legislative institutions. Practice showed that the majority of chiefs or mayors cede their mandates to party colleagues, Klix.ba reports.
E.Dz.
