SARAJEVO, Oct 6 (Hina) - Preliminary and incomplete results of Saturday's general elections in Bosnia-Herzegovina indicate an increase in the influence of national parties, but it is still uncertain if that influence is strong enough
to result in the change of authority and end the rule of the reform-oriented Alliance for Changes which governed the country over the past two years.
SARAJEVO, Oct 6 (Hina) - Preliminary and incomplete results of
Saturday's general elections in Bosnia-Herzegovina indicate an
increase in the influence of national parties, but it is still
uncertain if that influence is strong enough to result in the change
of authority and end the rule of the reform-oriented Alliance for
Changes which governed the country over the past two years. #L#
Shortly after midnight last night, the electoral headquarters of
the Party of Democratic Action (SDA), the Croatian Democratic Union
(HDZ) and the Serb Democratic Party (SDS) stated that they had won
significant support of the electorate.
The head of the SDA electoral headquarters, Hasan Muratovic, told
reporters in Sarajevo that his party had won 36 percent of the vote
in Sarajevo Canton, while the SDP had dropped to 17 percent.
He also stated that as much as 60 percent of the electorate had voted
for the SDA in Zenica-Doboj Canton and that party president
Sulejman Tihic was leading in the race for the Bosniak member of the
collective state presidency.
The leader of the Party for Bosnia-Herzegovina, Safet Halilovic,
said his party had won between 30 to 60 percent more votes than in
the 2000 election. He also claimed that the party's candidate for
the state presidency, Haris Silajdzic, was leading convincingly in
the race for the post.
The atmosphere at the SDP's electoral headquarters was less
optimistic.
Party leader Zlatko Lagumdzija met reporters at 2 am to confirm that
preliminary results indicated a drop in his party's influence on
the voters.
"The SDP's results are below expectations," he said, warning at the
same time that other parties' claims about their electoral victory
were completely unfounded because they were based on a relatively
small number of counted votes from rural areas, which were known as
the strongholds of national parties.
Lagumdzija is convinced that his party's results would be much
better once all votes had been counted, especially those from urban
areas.
The SDP leader stated that it was extremely important that the three
national parties, regardless of the rise in their influence, did
not have the majority necessary for the establishment of executive
authorities.
Lagumdzija estimates that the multi-party coalition is likely to
manage to form the parliamentary majorities necessary for its
remaining in power.
Official preliminary election results in the country are to be
announced by the Electoral Commission on Sunday evening.
(hina) rml