SARAJEVO, Oct 31 (Hina) - The Mission of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) to Bosnia-Herzegovina will not exclude any possible action against parties in violation of the electoral media ban, OSCE spokesman
Luke Zahner said in Sarajevo Tuesday. The OSCE will see a breach of media ban in all acts directed towards carrying out an announced referendum of Bosnian Croats which is intended to be organised by the Croatian Democratic Union of Bosnia-Herzegovina (HDZ BiH) on the day of elections, November 11. HDZ BiH president and Croat member of the Presidency of Bosnia-Herzegovina Ante Jelavic said in Mostar Tuesday the referendum will take place, even if the price was his punishment as president of the party and the punishment of the entire party. The provisional electoral commission which is in charge of overlooking the respecting of electoral rules may undertake various punishment me
SARAJEVO, Oct 31 (Hina) - The Mission of the Organisation for
Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) to Bosnia-Herzegovina
will not exclude any possible action against parties in violation
of the electoral media ban, OSCE spokesman Luke Zahner said in
Sarajevo Tuesday.
The OSCE will see a breach of media ban in all acts directed towards
carrying out an announced referendum of Bosnian Croats which is
intended to be organised by the Croatian Democratic Union of
Bosnia-Herzegovina (HDZ BiH) on the day of elections, November 11.
HDZ BiH president and Croat member of the Presidency of Bosnia-
Herzegovina Ante Jelavic said in Mostar Tuesday the referendum will
take place, even if the price was his punishment as president of the
party and the punishment of the entire party.
The provisional electoral commission which is in charge of
overlooking the respecting of electoral rules may undertake
various punishment measures, including the exclusion of candidates
from electoral lists.
The OSCE spokesman stressed a possible expression of views on the
position and rights of Croats in Bosnia-Herzegovina organised by
the HDZ BiH would not be considered a referendum. For us that would
be voicing public opinion, Zahner said, adding such activities were
directed towards a radicalisation of the electoral campaign aimed
at winning the votes of people who lack answers to important life
questions.
Jelavic said "a referendum may be prevented only by an operation by
the international Stabilisation Forces".
He recalled that the recent decision of the OSCE Provisional
Electoral Commission on the new way of election of representatives
into the Bosnian Federation's House of Peoples was in opposition to
the Constitution, because, according to him, Bosniaks would
influence the election of Croat MPs.
According to Jelavic's interpretation, the decision has rendered
the Bosnian Federation into an entity with a Bosniak majority. "I
think the Bosnian Federation is deceased," he added.
According to the electoral system in Bosnia-Herzegovina, voters
will directly be electing only representatives in canton
assemblies, and these representatives will, in turn, elect MPs of
the federal House of Peoples.
Until now only Croat representatives in canton assemblies elected
Croat MPs, and Bosniak representatives Bosniak MPs.
According to the new regulations, all MPs in the federal
Parliament's House of Peoples will be elected by all
representatives in canton assemblies.
The HDZ BiH deems this made it possible for the nationally more
numerous Bosniaks to get more votes.
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