Newsroom
Election campaign launched in Bosnia and Herzegovina
SARAJEVO 27 September 2000
SARAJEVO, 27 September 2000 - The OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina announced today the start of the 2000 general election campaign, and called on all citizens to become actively engaged and pay serious attention to the issues at stake in these elections.
"Our message to the citizens of BiH today is simple," said Ambassador Robert L. Barry, OSCE Head of Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina. "Elections can and do create change."
If voters want to make a difference, they need to make their voices heard by voting. We have provided the voter with new tools - such as requiring that 75% of those elected to seats in the BiH and entity assemblies are elected from local electoral districts, thus establishing a better connection between the voter and the representatives. Also, voters will once again be able to vote using the open list system, which gives them the ability to select the candidates they think are best suited to represent them, rather than leaving this decision to party leaders. Through tools like this we seek to promote transparency and accountability in the work of the BiH governments, as well as empower the voters and enable them to take the future into their own hands."
Approximately 2.5 million citizens are eligible to cast ballots in the November elections, which will be BiH's third round of general elections since the signing of the Dayton Peace Accords in December 1995.
The most significant innovation in the rules and regulations for the general elections is the introduction of electoral districts (known as multi-member constituencies) and the preferential voting system for the Presidency of the Republika Srpska. The multi-member constituencies will ensure that the citizens of BiH are able to elect representatives who directly represent them. The preferential voting system - a variant of the more traditional run-off system - was specifically designed to ensure that the candidate eventually elected received an absolute majority of votes counted. By marking their preferences, voters will make the maximum use of their vote on Election Day.
"The preferential voting system places more decision-making power in the hands of voters," said Barry, "but it will only be effective if voters actually make use of the option to use their preferences. It is important to know that marking a second, third, and further preference in no way weakens the support you have given to your first preference, since your additional preferences will not even be counted unless your first preference receives too few votes to stay in the race."
One of the key priorities of the OSCE voter education effort will be to explain to voters what the Preferential voting system is, how to use it, and why it is important. Barry also reminded political parties, coalitions, candidates and their supporters of their obligation to respect the Electoral Code of Conduct during the campaign period. Among other things, the Code requires parties, candidates and their supporters to refrain from using inflammatory or hate language, to respect the right of other parties and candidates to campaign freely, and to observe a 24-hour campaign silence period prior to the opening of polls. He added that the Independent Media Commission Rules for Elections - which lay out the responsibilities of the news media during the campaign period - are also now in effect.
New representatives will be elected in November for House of Representatives of BiH, House of Representatives of the Parliament of the Federation, National Assembly of Republika Srpska, President and Vice President of Republika Srpska, Cantonal Assemblies of Federation and Srebrenica municipal assembly. Forty-four political parties are taking part in the elections, along with one coalition, six independent candidates and three lists of independent candidates. Eighteen parties will run for the BiH House of Representatives; thirty-one parties will run for the National Assembly of Republika Srpska, and twenty-four parties, one list of independent candidates and one independent candidate will run for the Federation House of Representatives.
In concluding remarks, Barry encouraged all political parties and candidates to use the campaign period to engage in a substantive discussion about issues of vital importance for BiH people. He called upon parties and candidates not to dwell on the past, but to talk about issues that matter most to people, such as economic development, the fight against corruption, the promotion of transparent and effective state and entity government services, and the role of women and youth in political life.
The OSCE established its present Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina on 18 December 1995. In accordance with the General Framework Agreement for Peace, the OSCE Mission activities are to promote democratization and the building of a vibrant civil society; foster the development of professional journalism and monitor the rights of journalists; monitor and advance the human rights situation, supervise the conduct of elections, and encourage regional stabilization through arms control and confidence and security-building measures. The OSCE Mission continues to work closely with other international organizations and local institutions to implement the Dayton Peace Accords.
For further information, contact Luke Zahner, Spokesperson, OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sarajevo, tel.: 033/292-222 or 066/144-311.
"Our message to the citizens of BiH today is simple," said Ambassador Robert L. Barry, OSCE Head of Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina. "Elections can and do create change."
If voters want to make a difference, they need to make their voices heard by voting. We have provided the voter with new tools - such as requiring that 75% of those elected to seats in the BiH and entity assemblies are elected from local electoral districts, thus establishing a better connection between the voter and the representatives. Also, voters will once again be able to vote using the open list system, which gives them the ability to select the candidates they think are best suited to represent them, rather than leaving this decision to party leaders. Through tools like this we seek to promote transparency and accountability in the work of the BiH governments, as well as empower the voters and enable them to take the future into their own hands."
Approximately 2.5 million citizens are eligible to cast ballots in the November elections, which will be BiH's third round of general elections since the signing of the Dayton Peace Accords in December 1995.
The most significant innovation in the rules and regulations for the general elections is the introduction of electoral districts (known as multi-member constituencies) and the preferential voting system for the Presidency of the Republika Srpska. The multi-member constituencies will ensure that the citizens of BiH are able to elect representatives who directly represent them. The preferential voting system - a variant of the more traditional run-off system - was specifically designed to ensure that the candidate eventually elected received an absolute majority of votes counted. By marking their preferences, voters will make the maximum use of their vote on Election Day.
"The preferential voting system places more decision-making power in the hands of voters," said Barry, "but it will only be effective if voters actually make use of the option to use their preferences. It is important to know that marking a second, third, and further preference in no way weakens the support you have given to your first preference, since your additional preferences will not even be counted unless your first preference receives too few votes to stay in the race."
One of the key priorities of the OSCE voter education effort will be to explain to voters what the Preferential voting system is, how to use it, and why it is important. Barry also reminded political parties, coalitions, candidates and their supporters of their obligation to respect the Electoral Code of Conduct during the campaign period. Among other things, the Code requires parties, candidates and their supporters to refrain from using inflammatory or hate language, to respect the right of other parties and candidates to campaign freely, and to observe a 24-hour campaign silence period prior to the opening of polls. He added that the Independent Media Commission Rules for Elections - which lay out the responsibilities of the news media during the campaign period - are also now in effect.
New representatives will be elected in November for House of Representatives of BiH, House of Representatives of the Parliament of the Federation, National Assembly of Republika Srpska, President and Vice President of Republika Srpska, Cantonal Assemblies of Federation and Srebrenica municipal assembly. Forty-four political parties are taking part in the elections, along with one coalition, six independent candidates and three lists of independent candidates. Eighteen parties will run for the BiH House of Representatives; thirty-one parties will run for the National Assembly of Republika Srpska, and twenty-four parties, one list of independent candidates and one independent candidate will run for the Federation House of Representatives.
In concluding remarks, Barry encouraged all political parties and candidates to use the campaign period to engage in a substantive discussion about issues of vital importance for BiH people. He called upon parties and candidates not to dwell on the past, but to talk about issues that matter most to people, such as economic development, the fight against corruption, the promotion of transparent and effective state and entity government services, and the role of women and youth in political life.
The OSCE established its present Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina on 18 December 1995. In accordance with the General Framework Agreement for Peace, the OSCE Mission activities are to promote democratization and the building of a vibrant civil society; foster the development of professional journalism and monitor the rights of journalists; monitor and advance the human rights situation, supervise the conduct of elections, and encourage regional stabilization through arms control and confidence and security-building measures. The OSCE Mission continues to work closely with other international organizations and local institutions to implement the Dayton Peace Accords.
For further information, contact Luke Zahner, Spokesperson, OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sarajevo, tel.: 033/292-222 or 066/144-311.