OSCE ANNOUNCES FIRST PRELIMINARY RESULTS OF BOSNIA MUNICIPAL ELECTION

SARAJEVO, April 10 (Hina) - The Mission of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) to Bosnia-Herzegovina on Monday announced first preliminary results of the municipal election, confirming in most cases information already announced by political parties. According to results from 13 Bosnian municipalities, the main rivals in the competition for votes in Bosniak-dominated municipalities were the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Party for Bosnia-Herzegovina (SZBiH), and the Party of Democratic Action (SDA). The most successful party in the Bosnian Serb entity is the Serb Democratic Party (SDS), followed by the Party of Independent Social Democrats (SNDS), and the Party of Democratic Progress (PDP). Results announced so far do not include municipalities with the Bosniak majority. All results refer to ballots collected at polling stations, without ballots from abroad. The SDP is in the lead in the Sarajevo municipality of Stari grad, followed by the SZBiH, and the Party of Democratic Action (SDA). The Social Democrats won an even more convincing victory in the eastern Bosnian town of Gorazde, followed by the SDA and the SZBiH. The SDS is in the lead in six municipalities in eastern Bosnia. The OSCE Mission will continue announcing results until the counting of votes is completed. It is expected that the counting could be completed by the end of this week. OSCE Mission spokeswoman Tanya Domi today said the final decision on whether there would be general elections in autumn would be made by the OSCE Permanent Council at a session in May. Domi said the elections would not be organised before October because of lack of organisation preconditions. (hina) rml