OSCE ON CHANGES TO ELECTORAL RULES AND REGULATIONS

MOSTAR, April 21 (Hina) - The Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) on Wednesday confirmed that the provisional electoral commission had endorsed changes to electoral rules and regulations with regards to the registration of political parties, coalitions and independent candidates for this year's municipal elections in Bosnia-Herzegovina. The new regulations set by the electoral commission prohibit judges, police and military staff, and diplomatic and consular representatives to run as candidates in elections, unless they resign from their posts, Monja Koluder with the OSCE office in Mostar, told reporters on Wednesday. The changes prohibits persons elected at the upcoming municipal elections to perform electoral or legislative duties on any other level in bodies of authority. Parties, coalitions and independent candidates who registered for elections held in 1998 will not have to submit their programmes this year, Koluder said. However, she added, parties, coalitions and independent candidates who will register for the first time this year, or only registered for elections which took place in Bosnia-Herzegovina before 1998, will have to submit party programmes. Candidates will have to register between May 10 and 21 for the upcoming municipal elections, and lists of candidates will be submitted between June 28 and July 16. (hina) lml