A member of the Commission, Lidija Korac, told reporters in Sarajevo that only 27 municipalities saw one candidate win more than the prescribed 50 percent plus one vote, which makes their election valid.
In all other towns, mayors will be determined by adding up preferential votes from ballots, with the main rivals in most cases being the Party of Democratic Action (SDA) and the Social Democratic Party (SDP).
None of the candidates running for the post of Banja Luka mayor won the sufficient number of votes, said Korac.
Although he was supported by more than 66 percent of voters, the city's incumbent mayor, Dragoljub Davidovic, failed to win another term as under the Serb entity's law on local self-government units, the mayor of Banja Luka must receive the support of the absolute majority in the first election round.
This means that another election round for Banja Luka mayor will be organised, with voters choosing between the two most successful candidates from the first election round.
Preliminary election results published yesterday show that political parties were right to estimate that there would be no major changes in the attitude of the electorate in relation to the 2002 elections.
The only party that saw improved election results was the Party of Independent Social Democrats of Milorad Dodik.
Nevertheless, the most interesting are the results for the Brcko District Assembly, held for the first time since the establishment of the district. The Social Democratic Party and the Serb Democratic Party won almost the same number of votes, and each of them will try to assume power in the district in cooperation with other parties of similar orientation.