Voters in Bosnia and Herzegovina cast ballots on Sunday for the tripartite presidency, parliament and entity bodies, with preliminary results expected after polls close at 7 p.m.
Bosnians voted on Sunday in elections that could affect the country's European Union membership bid and the influence sought by the United States and Russia, Reuters reported from Sarajevo. Voters chose the three-member central presidency, the national parliament and regional legislatures in the two entities.
Polls were due to close at 7 p.m. local time, 1700 GMT, with preliminary results expected later from the Central Election Commission. About 3.4 million people were eligible. Al Jazeera and the OSCE also described Sunday as election day, and the OSCE mission plans to present preliminary findings on 5 October.
Bosnia received EU candidate status in December 2022 and a green light to open accession talks in 2024, but talks have not started because leaders have not passed required judicial and anti-corruption measures, Reuters reported. Voters have complained about an economic slowdown and a political crisis in which ethnic parties stall the central government.
The contest pits the Bosniak SDA, Serb SNSD and Croat HDZ BiH against multi-ethnic opposition groups led by the Social Democratic Party. Poliwave tracking cited by Reuters put the SDA on 21.4 percent and the SDP on 16.7 percent nationally, and SNSD on 34.2 percent in Republika Srpska. Milorad Dodik, banned from office after a conviction for defying the international envoy, is not on the ballot but his party remains central to the Serb entity race, AP reported.
The Associated Press said Dodik, recently returned from a meeting with Vladimir Putin, told a Friday rally in Banja Luka that Bosnia is dead. Washington has promoted a 1.5 billion dollar gas link to Croatia, while the EU has warned that the investor selection lacked competitive transparency, Reuters reported.
People Sentiments Mixed
- Dodik told a Friday rally in Banja Luka that Bosnia is dead, AP reported.
- Voters told Reuters they want to move beyond divisive rhetoric.
- The OSCE said it will present preliminary findings on 5 October.