In the first of 14 priorities from the opinion of the European Commission for Bosnia and Herzegovina, it is defined that BiH authorities must ensure free and fair elections in accordance with the recommendations of the Venice Commission and the OSCE observer mission. How to reduce election fraud and restore citizens’ trust in voting – this is an important issue that is being worked on a little, and the elections are already next year.
The priorities from the opinion of the European Commission regarding Bosnia and Herzegovina’s request for EU membership are clear. The first of them refers to the electoral process:
“Ensure that the elections are conducted in accordance with European standards by implementing the relevant recommendations of the OSCE/ODIHR and the Venice Commission, ensure the transparency of the financing of political parties and hold local elections in Mostar.”
Of those listed on the list, only elections were held in Mostar. The integrity of the election process was also a topic of the Steering Committee of the Peace Implementation Council.
“The integrity of the electoral process is one of the most important conditions for Bosnia and Herzegovina and its progress on the path of European integration. At the session, we welcomed the determination of the Council of Ministers and coalition partners to continue reforms, including reforms in the form of implementation and strengthening the integrity of the electoral process,” said Christian Schmidt, High Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
And the OSCE Mission points out that the transparency of elections is a condition for returning citizens to a political system built on responsibility, which implies the implementation of recommendations that we have been waiting for for a long time.
“It is in the first place that every person has the same right to vote. When Sejdić or Finci apply for the elections, we have to reject him and that’s why that law is discriminatory, the ruling has been in place since 2009,” said Suad Arnautović, President of the Central Election Commission of BiH.
“Numerous earlier recommendations of the ODIHR have still not been implemented, including recommendations resulting from the 2014 and 2018 General Elections. The fulfillment of those recommendations would help to eliminate the irregularities observed during the elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina, including the General Elections in 2022”, emphasized Brian Aggeler, head of the OSCE mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The use of modern technologies at polling stations would reduce the abuse of voters’ will. Performing civic duties electronically in Bosnia and Herzegovina is not yet realistic, but what is realistic does not require changes to the Constitution, the will is political.
“To begin with, it is very important and sufficient to introduce new technologies for the identification and verification of voters, for the scanning of ballots and the quick transfer of transmission of results. If cameras would come along with it, that would be ideal,” points out Arnautović.
“Through changes to the electoral law, the responsibility of political entities should be introduced for which it is determined that, on their orders, their members of the electoral committees falsified and violated the electoral law”, says Vehid Šehić, president of the SO Coalition under scrutiny.
We have a written strategy for improving the integrity and transparency of the electoral process, aligned with European directives. We have been waiting for the decision for two years.
“We addressed the parliament twice and begged that it be discussed, so that precisely during the discussion of this document, it would be indicated in which technological direction the election process should go, how to achieve that complete integrity”, says Arnautović.
“The creators of distrust in the electoral process and the electoral administration come from the political parties – because they don’t want to change anything,” concludes Šehić.
Strengthening the integrity of the electoral process will contribute to a higher turnout of citizens who are increasingly abstaining from voting. The first test for that is the elections that will be held next year.
