Regular parliamentary elections have so far been announced for the autumn next year.
Early elections are likely if the Serb Democratic Party (SDS) carries out its threats to withdraw from the current government in Bosnia, the spokeswoman for the OHR in Mostar, Sanela Tunovic, said on Wednesday.
She told a news conference that early elections would be an option if one of the ruling parties, namely the SDS, decided to walk out of bodies of authority in the country.
After a session of the party presidency in Banja Luka on Monday, the SDS issued a statement urging the parliamentary majority in the Bosnian Serb parliament to support it in the condemnation of what it called a campaign of political retaliation, which the party claims High Representative Paddy Ashdown launched against it after the Serb parliament refused to support reforms needed to start talks on stabilisation and association with the European Union.
"If the SDS does not receive that support, it will have no reason to remain part of the parliamentary majority and its deputies will urge taking a vote of confidence in the Council of Ministers of Bosnia-Herzegovina," the party said in a statement. It also announced a lawsuit against the High Representative for "violating the human rights and freedoms of SDS members and representatives during his term in Bosnia-Herzegovina".
After the SDS refused proposals for the reform of the country's police forces, the High Representative imposed radical restrictions on its financial transactions. All party accounts were blocked and one of the party branches was ordered to return money received as a donation from party members.