In an effort to ensure the integrity of Bosnia’s upcoming election in October, the international peace overseer, Christian Schmidt, has implemented changes to the country’s election law. These changes include prohibiting convicted war criminals from running and introducing measures such as electronic scanning, ballot counting, voter identification, and professionalizing election committees to restore voter trust.
The “integrity package” aims to address past reports of irregularities and fraud in Bosnian elections, with international observers calling for reforms for years. Schmidt took action due to local politicians’ failure to act, especially in light of Bosnia’s aspirations to join the European Union.
One of the key changes in the election law is to enhance security in handling election materials before and after voting, as well as implementing measures to prevent voter manipulation.
Despite the urgency for reforms, Bosnian leaders have shown reluctance towards the changes. Croat leaders conditioned their support on broader reforms related to the presidential vote, while Serb leaders, particularly Milorad Dodik, rejected the imposed changes, stating that the Serb Republic would not accept Schmidt’s authority.
Some Bosnian Serbs do not recognize Schmidt as the High Representative, as they believe he was not endorsed by the UN Security Council.
Christian Schmidt, who wields extensive powers as the international High Representative in Bosnia, had previously intervened in the country’s electoral legislation in 2022 to address a deadlock in the formation of a regional government after the last round of elections.
By enforcing these changes, Schmidt aims to meet one of the 14 priorities set by the European Commission for Bosnia to commence membership negotiations with the EU. The EU Council recently extended an invitation to start talks with the Balkan country.
These reforms mark a crucial step towards ensuring transparent, fair, and credible elections in Bosnia, which are essential for the country’s democratic process and its aspirations to join the European Union.
It remains to be seen how these changes will be implemented and whether they will effectively address the issues that have plagued past elections in Bosnia.
Overall, Schmidt’s intervention underscores the necessity for international oversight and support in countries transitioning towards democracy and seeking integration into regional and global institutions.
(Reporting by Daria Sito-Sucic; Editing by Barbara Lewis)
