OSCE ANNOUNCES PRELIMINARY RESULTS OF ELECTIONS IN BH

SARAJEVO, April 13 (Hina) - The Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) mission to Bosnia-Herzegovina on Thursday announced preliminary results of municipal elections for all 145 municipalities and the Mostar Town Council. In line with about 200,000 ballots counted before April 13, the OSCE confirmed that most successful individual party was the Serb Democratic Party (SDS). The SDS gained the relative or absolute majority of votes in 52 of 61 municipalities in the Bosnian Serb entity, Republika Srpska. In the Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina, the most successful individual party was the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) of Bosnia- Herzegovina. The party gained the majority of votes in 28 municipality. The Party of Democratic Action (SDA) won in 24 municipalities, and in another 11 municipalities in coalition with Haris Silajldzic's Party for Bosnia-Herzegovina. The Party for Bosnia-Herzegovina gained the majority of votes in only one municipality. The Social Democratic Party (SDP) is the winner in 18 municipalities. The Independent Social Democrats gained the majority of the vote in five municipalities, while the Republika Srpska Socialists gained the majority of votes in two municipalities. The Serb People Alliance is the winner in three municipalities, and the Democratic people's Union is the winner in one municipality. The OSCE confirmed that, according to the preliminary results, the HDZ was the winner of the electoral contest for the new composition of the Mostar Town Council. The counting of ballots is to be continued. (hina) it