SARAJEVO, Oct 16 (Hina) - The official results of the October 5 general elections in Bosnia-Herzegovina and the exact number of seats which political parties won in parliaments on the state and two entity's levels will be announced by
the end of this week, but it is already evident that a kind of cohabitation will ensue on different levels of authorities owing to the so-called compensation mandates.
SARAJEVO, Oct 16 (Hina) - The official results of the October 5
general elections in Bosnia-Herzegovina and the exact number of
seats which political parties won in parliaments on the state and
two entity's levels will be announced by the end of this week, but it
is already evident that a kind of cohabitation will ensue on
different levels of authorities owing to the so-called
compensation mandates. #L#
A member of the Bosnian Electoral Commission, Hilmo Pasic, said on
Wednesday that the final electoral results would be known before
the expiry of the deadline, October 20.
The division of the compensation mandates is likely to affect the
make-up of new executive authorities on the state level, probably
to the detriment of leading national parties which hastened to
proclaim themselves as the winners of the polls.
The division of the compensation mandates will be carried out in
accordance with the Sainte-League method.
The unofficial outcome of such division shows that three leading
national parties - the (Muslim) Party of Democratic Action (SDA),
the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) and the Serb Democratic Party
(SDS) - will not be able to secure a majority of seats in the House of
Representatives of Bosnia-Herzegovina and therefore they cannot
set up the new Council of Ministers (the Bosnian government).
There is a real possibility that the new Bosnian government be
formed on the grounds of the coalition led by Social Democrats (SDP)
and the Party for Bosnia-Herzegovina (SBiH) from the Croat-Muslim
entity and by the Party of Independent Social Democrats (SNSD) from
the Serb entity.
The situation in the Federation is to some extent different. In the
federal parliament SDA and HDZ have real prospects of creating a
majority.
In the Serb entity (the Republic of Srpska), SDS and SNSD are still
fighting for forming majorities, and they stand equal chances of
succeeding in it.
The three national parties, which obviously expected more of the
election without real grounds, are extremely dissatisfied with
such outcome.
HDZ President Barisa Colak threatened with civil unrest, accusing
the Electoral Commission of rigging the elections.
Responding to the threats, Hilmo Pasic said no rigging was in
question, but only the election law was being enforced, which
clearly defined the division of the compensation mandates.
(hina) ms sb