OSCE: ELECTIONS IN BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA CAN START

SARAJEVO, April 7 (Hina) - The head of the Organisation for the Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) mission to Bosnia- Herzegovina, Robert Barry, on Friday said all preparations for municipal elections in the country had been successfully conducted and called on Bosnia-Herzegovina citizens to use their democratic right and to participate in the elections. This elections are important because citizens will live in line with the results of the elections for the next four years, Barry said ahead of the opening of polls. He stressed that the OSCE mission to Bosnia-Herzegovina undertook all measures to enable a fair and safe voting process and special measures were taken in parts of Bosnia-Herzegovina which were considered conflict areas. The OSCE head said cooperation with interior ministries of the two entities was good and said that members of the international police and the Stabilisation Force would be in charge of safety at the day of the elections. OSCE spokeswoman Tanya Domi confirmed that all polls would be open at 7AM Saturday, and would close at 19.00 hours. Immediately after that the counting of votes will start and first preliminary results could be expected on April 9. Apart from 750 international supervisors and 4,800 monitors hired by non-governmental organisations in Bosnia-Herzegovina, the implementation of the elections will also be monitored by 400 representatives of international organisations and political parties participating in the elections. There will be 3,300 polling stations at which voters will be able to cast their ballots. Voters will elect 145 municipal councils and the council for the southern Bosnia-Herzegovina town of Mostar. (hina) it