Regarding the 28 August 2025 Decision of the Central Election Commission (CEC) of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) to call early elections for the President of Republika Srpska (RS), in line with the legal mandate of the CEC BiH, the applicable electoral framework, and the decisions of the Court of BiH and Constitutional Court of BiH, the OSCE Mission to BiH (Mission) underlines once again that upholding the constitutional order and the rule of law is non-negotiable and remains crucial for stability and democracy in BiH.
The Mission fully supports the CEC BiH in exercising its legal mandate and reaffirms the central role of independent electoral institutions in upholding democratic processes.
Respecting the final and binding decisions of competent judicial and electoral institutions is essential to ensuring institutional stability and public trust. Ensuring legally grounded elections is vital for effective governance and to ensure the proper functioning of the governing institutions of Republika Srpska, serving the interests of Republika Srpska and its citizens.
The Mission calls on all relevant actors to enable the peaceful and orderly conduct of the entire electoral process in line with the domestic legal framework and international standards. Any actions aimed at obstructing or unlawfully influencing electoral processes contravene the legal obligations binding on all public actors and pose a significant risk to the country’s stability.
The Mission remains committed to supporting BiH in upholding the constitutional order and in strengthening democratic governance, electoral integrity and the rule of law for the benefit of all its citizens.
