Ethnicity, entities to play major part in BiH's elections Sunday

02/10/2008

Sunday's local elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) will feature more than 29,000 candidates from 72 political parties.

By Jusuf Ramadanovic for Southeast European Times in Sarajevo -- 02/10/08

More than 3 million citizens can vote in Sunday's (October 5th) local elections. [File]

More than 3 million citizens are eligible to vote in Sunday's (October 5th) local elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). As many as 29,043 candidates and 72 parties are competing for more than 3,000 posts, including 140 mayoral races.

More than 35% of the candidates are women, and 24% are younger than 30.

For the first time, Srebrenica -- the site of the genocide in 1995 -- will have its own voting regulations. The Central Election Commission (CEC) decided that all those who lived there in 1991, including those who have left, can still vote there.

Representatives of the Council of Europe and other international organisations will monitor polling. Observers say the mixed election outlook reflects current ethnic and administrative divisions. General optimism may play some role, since voters might perceive ongoing EU consideration of terminating the EUFOR mission and BiH's June signing of a Stabilisation and Association Agreement as positive signs for the future.

One of the major parties that will run nationwide is the Social Democratic Party (SDP). It has candidates in 109 of the country's municipalities -- 73 in the Federation of BiH (FBiH) and 36 in Republika Srpska (RS). The party celebrates the multiethnic character of its lists in Banja Luka, Mostar, Sarajevo and Tuzla -- the four largest cities in BiH. Its campaign platform advocates the interests of people as individual citizens rather than as members of ethnic groups.

The Party of Democratic Action of BiH (SDABiH), a major Bosnian Muslim party, has 66 mayoral candidates. Party leader Sulejman Tihic said the SDABiH is committed to making BiH a state for all peoples.

The Party for BiH (SBiH) will compete in 110 municipalities in both BiH entities. Party leader Haris Silajdzic said his party expects "good results in the October elections".

However, some media analysts say the party lacks the infrastructure for a strong showing locally.

Another majority Bosniak party could become an important contender -- the Bosnian Patriotic Party (BPS), headed by Sefer Halilovic, who commanded the BiH Army in the 1990s conflict.

As for the Bosnian Croat parties, the major contender is the Croatian Democratic Union 1990 (HDZ 1990), headed by Bozo Ljubic. It has 25 mayoral and 700 city-council candidates.

The other major Bosnian Croat party is the Croatian Democratic Union of BiH, headed by Dragan Covic.

RS's political situation is much clearer than FBiH's. By far the strongest party is the ruling Alliance of Independent Social Democrats (SNSD), headed by RS Prime Minister Milorad Dodik.

Far behind is the opposition Serb Democratic Party (SDS), headed by Mladen Bosic. War crimes suspect Radovan Karadzic led the SDS during the BiH conflict.

Analysts say that although the SNSD will carry RS easily, the SDS has some prospects in less prosperous eastern RS, which, allegedly, the ruling SNSD has neglected.