Bosnia and Herzegovina

There was genuine competition in Bosnia and Herzegovina’s 4 October general elections and contestants were largely able to reach voters. The political landscape is deeply fragmented, characterised by conflicting narratives still rooted in wartime divisions, the international election observers said in a statement of preliminary findings and conclusions today. The first-time countrywide use of information and communication technologies (ICT) was introduced to address longstanding electoral integrity concerns, although delays and shortfalls limited transparency in the implementation stage, the statement says.

Bosnia-Herzegovina's three-member presidency is set to be dominated by nationalists from the three major ethnic groups, including Zeljka Cvijanovic, backed by disqualified Serb secessionist leader Milorad Dodik. … Bosnian officials reported a record-low turnout following the Sunday vote, with only 41.5% out of the country's 3.4 million voters taking part in the general election in Bosnia-Herzegovina.

At a meeting at UN headquarters with chair of Bosnia and Herzegovina's presidency, secretary-general Antonio Guterres says glorification of war criminals is a threat to regional reconciliation and stability.

The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) today opened an observation mission for the 4 October general elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina, following an invitation from the national authorities and based on the findings of a pre-election needs assessment mission.

Ten more victims of the 1995 genocide were buried on Saturday at the Srebrenica Memorial Centre, with survivors calling on the perpetrators to acknowledge the truth and ask for forgiveness.

Following the decision of the Peace Implementation Council Steering Board (PIC SB) to appoint Louis J. Crishock as Acting High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina, he today assumed the duties of Acting High Representative, taking over from former High Representative Christian Schmidt.

US and European officials failed to agree by Thursday on a top international envoy for keeping the peace in Bosnia after two days of meetings, outgoing high representative Christian Schmidt confirmed.

Bosnia and Herzegovina is moving along “a narrowing path” that could lead either towards institutional sustainability and economic revitalization, or stagnation and deconstruction of State institutions, the Security Council heard today from the High Representative of the international community in that country. Today’s briefing by Christian Schmidt, who occupies that Office, is taking place mere days after he announced his resignation.  

Central Election Commission schedules elections at several levels for October 4, while preparing to introduce new biometric voter identification and ballot-scanning technology.

[…] She [NATO’s Deputy Secretary General Radmila Shekerinska] underscored NATO’s readiness to strengthen the cooperation, building on Bosnia and Herzegovina’s first Individually Tailored Partnership Programme adopted last year, the optimised implementation of the country’s Reform Programme, and NATO’s enhanced support through its Defence Capacity Building Programme.