The Central Election Commission of Bosnia and Herzegovina (CIK BiH) has issued a statement following various interpretations by individuals in the public regarding the election of the mayor of the City of Sarajevo, as well as of Brčko and Mostar.
The CEC informed the public about the relevant legal framework regulating this procedure.
“Article 13.10 paragraph (3) of the Election Law of Bosnia and Herzegovina clearly stipulates that each city council, or city assembly, shall elect the mayor and president of the city council in the manner established by law and the city statute,” the CEC announced.
They emphasized that in accordance with this, the election of the mayor of the City of Sarajevo is conducted by the City Council of the City of Sarajevo, as a representative body of the city’s citizens, in the procedure established by the Statute of the City of Sarajevo.
They remind that the City Council consists of 28 councilors delegated by the municipal councils of the municipalities that make up the City of Sarajevo from among the elected municipal councilors, after which this body, upon its constitution, elects the mayor and deputy mayors.
“Regarding the allegations about the verification of candidates for mayor in the City of Sarajevo, the City of Mostar and the Brčko District of Bosnia and Herzegovina, we emphasize that the Central Election Commission of Bosnia and Herzegovina carried out legally prescribed checks in the process of nominating these persons for representative bodies: the City Council of Mostar, the Municipal Council of Novo Sarajevo and the Assembly of the Brčko District of Bosnia and Herzegovina for the 2024 Local Elections,” they state.
Finally, it is emphasized that the Central Election Commission of Bosnia and Herzegovina does not dispute the election of the mayor in any way and acts exclusively within the scope of its jurisdiction established by the Election Law of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
We remind you that in February, at the session of the City Council of the City of Sarajevo, the SDA Councilors’ Club submitted an initiative for the Mayor of Sarajevo Samir Avdić to cease performing his duties until it is determined whether the election of the mayor was conducted legally.
They pointed out that according to available information, the procedure prescribed by the amendments to the Instructions on the Procedure for Conducting Indirect Elections for Government Bodies in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which were adopted by the Central Election Commission of Bosnia and Herzegovina (CEC) in May 2024, has not been followed.
OBSERVED OMISSIONS
Balić after receiving the CEC’s response:
“Avdić is not the Mayor of Sarajevo, we will seek new elections”
They pointed out that the aforementioned Instructions precisely prescribe all individual steps in the mayoral election process, including the submission and verification of candidate lists, signing and verification of statements of acceptance of candidacy, publication of election results in official gazettes, and issuance of a certificate of assignment of mandate to the elected mayor.
The SDA Councilors’ Club invited Samir Avdić to present a certificate of assignment of mandate, if he has one. City councilor Kerim Balić (SDA) also spoke out, publishing the response from the Central Election Commission.
Mayor Avdić’s response soon arrived, saying that it was a political issue, not a legal one.
“The procedure was carried out entirely by the will of 16 city councilors out of a total of 28, and in this way the mayor of the City of Sarajevo was elected. This fully established the legitimacy and legality of the elected mayor of the City of Sarajevo,” said Avdić.
