SARAJEVO, Aug 13 (Hina) - The head of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Mission to Bosnia-Herzegovina (BH), Robert Barry, on Friday outlined the draft of a permanent electoral law for BH to a group of
specially invited reporters in Sarajevo. The draft was made by an expert task group from BH and representatives of the Office of the High Representative for BH and the OSCE. The permanent electoral law is, according to Barry, aimed towards a moderate policy, the promotion of inter-ethnic reconciliation and compromise in BH. Barry pointed out the passing of the law was a condition BH must fulfil to access the Council of Europe. All elections held in Bosnia since the signing of the Dayton peace agreement have been based on rules and regulations of a provisional electoral commission. Barry singled out the introduction of open lists which will make voting possible for political parties and
SARAJEVO, Aug 13 (Hina) - The head of the Organisation for Security
and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Mission to Bosnia-Herzegovina
(BH), Robert Barry, on Friday outlined the draft of a permanent
electoral law for BH to a group of specially invited reporters in
Sarajevo.
The draft was made by an expert task group from BH and
representatives of the Office of the High Representative for BH and
the OSCE.
The permanent electoral law is, according to Barry, aimed towards a
moderate policy, the promotion of inter-ethnic reconciliation and
compromise in BH.
Barry pointed out the passing of the law was a condition BH must
fulfil to access the Council of Europe. All elections held in Bosnia
since the signing of the Dayton peace agreement have been based on
rules and regulations of a provisional electoral commission.
Barry singled out the introduction of open lists which will make
voting possible for political parties and individual candidates.
He also pointed to the importance of introducing a preferential
voting system for members of Bosnia's Presidency, and the president
and vice president of Republika Srpska, Bosnia's Serb entity.
Explaining the system, Barry said it will give voters the
opportunity to rank candidates as they please, and will also induce
candidates to seek the backing of new supporters, to be their
second, third, or fourth choice.
If nobody wins the required majority of vote, the candidate with the
least votes will be eliminated, while others will share votes among
themselves, Barry added.
According to the new draft, political parties must collect 3,000
signatures of support for their candidates for membership in
Bosnia's Presidency, including 500 signatures from the other
Bosnian entity. Otherwise, the party in question must ensure the
backing of at least two municipal councils from the other entity.
The press commented the mentioned 500 votes could be bought, to
which Barry replied that the parties which might attempt to do so
will be immediately disqualified.
The new draft further states that every candidate for membership in
the Presidency will have to run with a deputy, who will act only in
case of the Presidency member's death or if he becomes unfit for
performing his task.
In case of the member's resignation, elections in the House of
Representatives will be held by representatives from the same
region of the resigning party, and in the Parliamentary Assembly's
House of People by representatives from the same constituent people
the resigning member belonged to.
Barry also drew attention to the connection between national
parties and criminals, and the criminal connection of certain
members of a secret service active in the former Yugoslav
federation.
Some of those connections would disappear with the election of new
politicians, Barry said.
(hina) ha