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Ref. CG-PR019 (2017)

32nd session: The Congress presents a recommendation on the local elections in Bosnia-Herzegovina

Strasbourg, 31 March 2017 - On Thursday 30 March 2017 the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe discussed a report and a recommendation on the observation of the local elections which were held in Bosnia and Herzegovina on 2 October 2016. The elections took place against a background of ethnic following the referendum held on 25 September 2016 in Republika Srpska and which concerned the national day of the entity.

According to the report presented by Stewart Dickson (United Kingdom, ILDG), voting was held – with the exception of a few violent incidents – in a calm and orderly manner overall. Improvements had been made with regard to the system of “tendered ballots” that had been reformed prior to the elections as well as to the amendment to the Election Law that provides for a 40 per cent quota of the underrepresented gender on candidates’ lists for Municipal Councils.  However, the Congress regrets the lack of professionalism and the politicisation of the election administration.

Consequently, the report recommends reducing political parties’ influence, overhauling the conditions for appointing and dismissing members of electoral committees at all levels. More generally, the transparency and the integrity of the electoral process needs be reinforced by implementing existing legislation on fraud and infringements of election rules and the misuse of administrative resources.

Moreover, the report also draws attention to the situation in the city of Mostar where no local elections could be held on 2 October 2016. The Congress reaffirms the need to find an appropriate and lasting solution to the current deadlock affecting local democracy in Mostar.

·         Presentation by Stewart Dickson

·         Report CG32(2017)16 on Observation of local elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina

·         File : 32^nd Session

·         Video of the debate

Congress of Local and Regional Authorities

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The Congress has two chambers, the Chamber of Local Authorities and the Chamber of Regions. It brings together 324 full and 324 substitute members representing more than 200 000 European territorial communities.

President of the Congress: Gudrun Mosler-Törnström (Austria, SOC), President of the Chamber of Local Authorities: Anders Knape (Sweden, EPP/CCE), President of the Chamber of Regions: Gunn Marit Helgesen (Norway, EPP-CCE)

Political Groups: Socialist Group (SOC), Group of the European People’s Party (EPP/CCE), Independent and Liberal Democrat Group (ILDG), European Conservatives & Reformists Group  (ECR)