Numerous reactions followed after the high representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina imposed technical changes to the Election Law of BiH, the aim of which is to improve the integrity of the electoral process. While some praise Schmidt’s move, others strongly condemn it.
The international community welcomed the decision of the high representative, evaluating it as useful for citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The Delegation of the European Union in Bosnia and Herzegovina reminded that the executive powers of the High Representative should be used exclusively as a last resort against irreparable illegal actions.
“The EU expects the domestic authorities to implement the necessary reforms that will ensure that the elections are conducted in accordance with European standards through the implementation of the recommendations of the OSCE/ODIHR and the relevant recommendations of the Venice Commission, as well as to ensure the transparency of the financing of political entities”, they pointed out from Delegations, and called on domestic political actors to behave responsibly.
The EU expressed a strong preference for the Parliamentary Assembly of BiH to be the one to take responsibility and adopt these reforms, as the leaders of the coalition at the level of BiH have committed to do and to do so in a timely manner for implementation in the October local elections.
The Embassy of the United States of America in Bosnia and Herzegovina expressed their regret that local political representatives did not reach an agreement on the amendments to the Election Law.
“We regret that all parties did not engage in good faith or truly commit to electoral integrity. Their failure is why OHR had to act. It is vital to ensure that elections are free and fair and that the citizens of BiH know that their the ballots should be counted the way they voted,” they said.
Support also came from the British ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Julian Riley.
“The High Representative has our full support for his actions aimed at providing the stronger integrity that citizens and political parties demand,” Riley said.
The leaders of the “Trojka” also welcomed this decision, and thus SDP BiH called on all political representatives to accept it as, as they stated, a positive step forward.
“One of the basic democratic principles is that citizens vote and can be elected on an equal basis, without interventions and manipulation of their will. Unfortunately, we have witnessed malpractices and abuses of the electoral process and falsification of the will of voters in all elections, with increasing intensity from the election cycle in election cycle. Although it remains to be regretted that the package of integrity was not adopted by domestic actors, the introduction of modern technologies is nevertheless a significant step forward that must be welcomed”, said the SDP BiH.
Our party believes that any opposition to these changes speaks only of the intentions of those who oppose them, because, as they stated, “in this way, they show that they are using irregularities during the election process to illegally acquire political power.”
“With this decision, we arrive at a government that was elected and not stolen. It is ensured that the election results finally reflect the real will of the voters,” they said.
Leader of the People and Justice Elmedin Konaković welcomed the decision of the High Representative.
“The protection of electoral integrity is an important process for democracy in our country. Ultimately, it is the voters who decide, not the counters,” said Konaković.
The authorities in the Republika Srpska strongly condemned this decision by Schmidt, and according to the words of the Prime Minister of the RS, Radovan Višković, “by imposing the law, BiH’s European path is probably finished”.
Željka Cvijanović, a member of the BiH Presidency from the Serbian people, believes that this decision “sets BiH back three steps”.
“Whenever the representatives of the people in BiH take a step forward, Schmidt takes us back three steps. This is a slap in the face to the democratic process and the European path of BiH, and a slap in the face to the EU,” stated Cvijanović.
The President of the National Assembly of the Republika Srpska and the leader of the United Srpska Nenad Stevandić assessed that the imposition of laws in BiH is inadmissible, and that the RS rejects such a thing in principle.
Stevandić told Nezavisne novine that Republika Srpska, in response to Schmidt’s decision, will pass its own election law.
“We will carry out consultations and react as written as possible, we will not allow ourselves to be provoked, and we will not implement these decisions,” said Stevandić, and announced that an extraordinary session of the NSRS Collegium will be held tomorrow.
They also spoke from the SDA, welcoming the decision of the high representative.
“The imposition of changes to the Election Law of BiH by the high representative was the only possible scenario after the ruling coalition SNSD, HDZ and the Troika obstructed and practically refused its adoption in the Parliamentary Assembly of BiH. By doing so, they showed who is not interested in fair and honest elections. We express our regret that the ‘Trojka’, SNSD and HDZ did not support the amendments to the Election Law previously proposed by the SDA, because this would avoid the reaction of the high representative, and solve the integrity of the election process in a more comprehensive way,” they said.
