OSCE/ODIHR presents recommendations from final report on 2014 general elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Elections experts from the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) met with electoral stakeholders in Sarajevo on 24 and 25 June 2015 to present recommendations from the final report on the 12 October 2014 general elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The report’s findings and recommendations were presented to officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Central Election Commission, the Parliamentary Commission for Conflict of Interest, the Regulatory Communication Agency and the Constitutional Court, as well as to representatives of political parties, civil society and the international community.

“We welcome Bosnia and Herzegovina’s willingness to follow up on our electoral recommendations in an inclusive and open manner,” said Corien Jonker, who headed the ODIHR election observation mission in October. “ODIHR is ready to support authorities in this process, including through the review of draft or final amendments to election legislation.”

The discussions focused on the recommendations by the mission to remove ethnicity- and residency-based restrictions on the right to vote and stand as a candidate, to address the risk of politically imbalanced boards in polling stations, and to review campaign finance regulations and legal provisions for the allocation of polling staff.

Discussions also focused on the need to ensure media freedom and the role of the public broadcaster in providing impartial and balanced campaign coverage, as well as efforts to ensure the participation of internally displaced persons.

All OSCE participating States have committed themselves to follow up on the assessments and recommendations by ODIHR election observation missions.