While Savo Minić is gathering coalition partners for talks on forming a new government in Republika Srpska, preparations for early elections are intensifying. The Central Election Commission could meet as early as Thursday to determine the exact date for early elections for the president of Republika Srpska. Taking into account the provisions prescribed by the Election Law and the deadline within which elections must be held, the assumption is that November 16 will be election day. This is a photo finish of the statutory deadline of 90 days. As expected, obstruction from Republika Srpska and the ruling coalition has been announced.
According to the Election Law of Bosnia and Herzegovina, there are a little less than three months left until the elections for the president of Republika Srpska. However, Milorad Dodik is explicit that the elections will not be held.
“No public facility, no school in the RS will be able to be used for the elections. Any participation of people in polling stations in connection with these elections, we will amend the law and pass a law that it is a criminal offense and we will tell people to stay away,” Dodik said.
Legal experts explain that any prevention of holding elections is a criminal offense.
“Any prevention of holding these early elections will lead to at least two criminal offenses. One is prescribed by the RS Criminal Code and refers to preventing the holding of elections. The criminal offense of failure to implement the judgment of the Court of BiH could also be committed,” says constitutional law professor Milan Blagojević.
Those who follow the political situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina say that there can be no postponement of the elections.
“The elections will have to be held by force or by will. Even if that were to happen, it would be enough for people to vote absentee, so let 500 people go to the polls, and those elections will be valid,” says political analyst Gordana Katana.
“No one has the right to disrupt and influence the electoral will of voters, so I expect that all institutions that, in accordance with the Election Law and other laws, participate directly and indirectly in the elections, will work exclusively within their jurisdiction,” says former CEC member Vehid Šehić.
It is necessary to secure funds to hold the elections. The CEC explained that the funds must be allocated from the state budget. The request is being sent to the Minister of Finance. A new problem could arise here because Srđan Amidžić is an SNSD minister.
“Amidžić can try to create blockades. He will probably have to do so on Dodik’s orders until the last moment, but as far as I understand, the High Representative’s decision that if the deputy minister does not sign within the legal deadline can sign, also applies to that,” says journalist Sead Numanović.
The CEC should make a decision on early elections by the end of the week, which will define the election date, and according to the Election Law, early elections should be held within 90 days of the end of the mandate of the President of Republika Srpska.
