BOSNIANS VOTE IN LOCAL ELECTION

SARAJEVO, April 8 (Hina) - All polling stations in Bosnia- Herzegovina closed after 08.00 pm Saturday, said a spokeswoman for the OSCE mission in this country, adding that voting was extended at places where people were queuing before polling boxes so that all could cast their ballots.#L# After the completion of the voting process, the OSCE (Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe) spokeswoman Tanya Domi told a news conference in Sarajevo that the implementation of this local election in Bosnia could be assessed as successful. She added that no major problem had occurred during the voting. She, however, cited several minor incidents. In the southern town of Stolac a leader of the Croatian Party of Rights (HSP) tried to disturb voting at four stations. In the eastern town of Kladanj the (Moslem-led) Party of Democratic Action (SDA) tried to persuade voters not to cast ballots for Social Democratic Party (SDP). At Serb-populated Pale, outside Sarajevo, leaflets were handed to possible voters in order to deceive them that the ballot was delayed for September. Croats in the towns of Zepce and Gornji Vakuf followed appeals of some political parties to boycott the election so that voters of the Croat descent did not appear at polling stations at those central Bosnian towns. Domi added that some of the aforementioned cases would be considered by the Election Appeals Sub-Committee (EASC). On Saturday evening the OSCE mission did not have concrete data on a turnout at the second municipal election in Bosnia. Domi told reporters that the turnout seemed to be lower than expected but still relatively high. Upon the closing of polling stations the counting of ballots began there, while the OSCE mission's headquarters in the Bosnian capital had commenced counting ballots sent by Bosnian citizens from abroad First preliminary results are expected to be announced by OSCE officials on Monday. (hina) ms