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2020 Bosnian municipal elections

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2020 Bosnian municipal elections
← 2016 15 November 2020[a] 2024 →
All 143 municipal/city mayors
All 143 municipal/city councils
Registered3,283,194
Turnout50.40% (Decrease 3.48 pp)
  First party Second party Third party
 
Milorad Dodik (2019-03-04) (cropped).jpg
A23A9154 (41248738975) (cropped).jpg
Dragan Čović 2020.jpg
Leader Milorad Dodik Bakir Izetbegović Dragan Čović
Party SNSD SDA HDZ BiH
Mayors 44 27 22
Change Increase 11 Decrease 7 Increase 3
Percentage 30.77% 18.88% 15.38%
  Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party
 
Mirko Šarović (cropped).jpg
PES 2017-11-18 (cropped).jpg
IND
Leader Mirko Šarović Nermin Nikšić None
Party SDS SDP BiH Independent
Mayors 16 9 5
Change Steady Increase 1 Decrease 9
Percentage 11.19% 6.29% 3.49%

Municipal elections were held in Bosnia and Herzegovina on 15 November 2020 to elect mayors and assemblies in 143 municipalities.[2] Originally scheduled for 4 October, they were postponed due to a lack of funds.[3][4][5]

Occurring under the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, they came less than a year following the delayed formation of the state government.[6] National coalition partners and the hegemonic Bosniak, Serb and Croat political parties, the Party of Democratic Action (SDA), Alliance of Independent Social Democrats (SNSD) and Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ), respectively, each defended the most number of positions.

A total of 3,283,194 citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina were registered to vote[7][8] – almost on par with the total population of the country, 3,531,159 at the 2013 census[9] – pointing to issues of outdated data in the voters' registry.

Out of 425 mayoral candidates, 29 were women.[10] Only 4 women were elected mayors, down from 7.

Electoral system

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Municipal elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina comprise the election of a mayor and municipal assembly across the 143 municipalities of Republika Srpska and the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. They are governed by the Law on Elections.[11]

Mayors are elected by a first-past-the-post system, with the candidate receiving the plurality of votes winning. For this reason, multi-party coalitions are more common at the mayoral level, with a united political or ethnic slate presented in situations where several candidates may divide the electorate. Assembly elections use open list proportional representation, with the number of assembly members varying by population.[12]

Sarajevo and Istočno Sarajevo are further subdivided into four and six municipalities which also elect assemblies. The mayor of Sarajevo is elected indirectly,[13][14] while the mayor of Istočno Sarajevo has been elected directly since these elections.[15][16] The Brčko District is an independent self-administrative unit, electing an assembly which in turn selects a mayor.[17]

Mostar holds elections using the mixed-member proportional representation system where 22 seats are elected in six different city areas and 13 on the city list.[18] The mayor is elected by the city assembly.[18] These were the first elections in Mostar after the political agreement in 2020 and the first to be held in the same time as the rest of the country since the 2008 elections.[19][20]

Electoral campaign

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One of HDZ BiH's campaign posters featuring Mostar city council candidate Mario Kordić. The slogan Investments, economy, jobs is positioned above the party's logo

Electoral issues dominated the Bosnian public sphere across September and October, although the electoral campaign officially started only on 16 October. Political parties held large rallies, despite growing COVID-19 cases (over 50,000 cases and 1,234 deaths by 31 October) and in violation of health and safety regulations.[21]

According to Transparency International in Bosnia and Herzegovina (TI BIH), political parties spent almost one million BAM on video production and advertising in TV and print media in the first two weeks of campaign. Almost the entire amount was spent by the main six parties, with the largest share by Banja Luka-based SNSD (351,357) and PDP (325,852 km).[22] Transparency International also recorded multiple examples of abuse of administrative resources by parties in power for electoral purposes.[23]

In Velika Kladuša, outgoing mayor and convicted war criminal Fikret Abdić, under arrest since June for abuse of office,[24] was released to allow him to carry out electoral campaign.[25]

The international High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina, Valentin Inzko, noted that the election campaign was "characterized by divisive, negative rhetoric that deepens existing divisions and makes reconciliation in Bosnia and Herzegovina increasingly difficult."[26]

The Central Electoral Commission (CIK) fined several parties for illicit activities before the formal start of the electoral campaign. On 7 October, the CIK banned from elections the United Srpska and fined it BAM 10,000 for diffusion of a video on social media deemed as spreading ethnic hatred.[27][28] On 15 October, the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina annulled such decision, as it deemed that the legal provisions referred to by the CIK (Election Law) did not apply to the period ahead the formal start of the electoral campaign. The video continued to be shared by the party on social media in the following weeks.[29][30][31]

The number of voters registers from abroad soared to 101,771, alarming judicial institutions to the risk of fraud.[32] The CIK received over 3,500 reports of suspected fraud,[33] particularly in relation to Srebrenica and Brčko. To facilitate the identification of such cases, on 8 October the CIK published on its website the liste of registered mail-in voters, including names and addresses, allowing all citizens to identify and report suspected irregularities. On 14 October the BiH Agency for the Protection of Personal Data requested the removal of the list of registered mail-in voters from the CIK website, citing privacy concerns.[34]

The CIK rejected over 27,000 received applications for voting from abroad[33] and reported suspect cases of fraud to the State-level BiH Prosecutor's Office, which however on 12 October indicated that it rejected jurisdiction on them and advised the CIK to address local judicial institutions.[35]

The local elections were observed remotely by the Council of Europe.[36]

Results

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Composition of the Sarajevo City Council following the elections

Turnout reached 50.40%. Governing parties in each communities (Bosniak SDA and Bosnian Serb SNSD) had a lacklustre showing, and opposition candidates won in Sarajevo as well as, unexpectedly, in Banja Luka and Bijeljina. Party leaders (Bakir Izetbegović and Milorad Dodik respectively) acknowledged the loss.

In the Bosnian capital Sarajevo, in its municipality of Centar, the candidate of the opposition coalition Srđan Mandić (Our Party) obtained almost two thirds of the votes. Opposition candidates won 4 municipalities out of 9. Experienced politician, Social Democrat Bogić Bogićević was poised to be elected the next mayor of the city of Sarajevo in the coming weeks by the City Council.[37] In parallel, the alliance of the four opposition parties, colloquially called the Four, also initiated the reshuffle process of the government of the Sarajevo Canton, which they controlled with good results for the first time in 2019, but which returned in March 2020 to the hands of the SDA.[38][39][40][41]

In Zenica the outgoing mayor, the independent Fuad Kasumović, kept the town hall; the SDA candidate, Deputy Minister of Justice Nezir Pivić got only second. Also in Tuzla, the Social Democrat Jasmin Imamović – the longest-serving mayor in Bosnia and Herzegovina, in power since 2001 – maintained control of the cantonal capital, resulting in the lead in all polling stations in town. In Velika Kladuša, war criminal Fikret Abdić, was re-elected, even if only with a very narrow margin on challenger Jasmin Hušić. In Mostar, voting took place on 20 December, for the first time since 2008.[38]

In the Republika Srpska entity, 27-year-old opposition candidate Draško Stanivuković (PDP) won the majority of votes for the post of City mayor of Banja Luka over the outgoing Igor Radojičić (SNSD), a loyalist of Dodik. Stanivuković created a public profile lambasting nepotism and corruption of the ruling party, as well as showing himself closer to the demands of the "Justice for David" movement. Dodik's party had ruled the Bosnian Serb capital since 1998.[38]

The SNSD, with Dalibor Pavlović, instead gained the municipality of Prijedor, a fiefdom of his allied DNS party; that of Doboj, where the previous mayor aligned himself with the SNSD in 2018; and that of Trebinje, where Dodik had promised the construction of an airport – financed by Serbia. In Srebrenica, waiting for the postal votes, the outgoing mayor, Serb Mladen Grujičić, a denier of the genocide, was ahead of just 600 votes; Bosniak parties, which counted on at least 1600 postal votes, declared victory for their candidate Alija Tabaković. Ultimately, Grujičić was re-elected. Finally, in Bijeljina the outgoing mayor Mićo Mićić, in power since 2004, had aligned himself with Dodik, being expelled from the SDS party; he unexpectedly lost his seat to opposition candidate Ljubiša Petrović (SDS/PDP). However, Dodik's coalition obtained a majority in the city council.[38]

Mayoral

[edit]

Denotes municipality within city
Denotes municipality changing hands

Assembly of Brčko District

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There are 31 seats in the Assembly of the Brčko District. The seats were divided as follows:[42]

Constituency[43] Council Mayor[44]
elected by Council
Party Popular vote % Seats Mayor Votes %
Brčko Party of Democratic Action 6,133 16.46 5 Esed Kadrić, SDA 22 71%
SNSD—DEMOS 4,651 12.49 4
Socialist Party 4,396 11.80 4
Croatian Democratic Union 2,973 7.98 3
Union for a Better Future 2,574 6.91 2
People and Justice 2,514 6.75 2
United Srpska 2,307 6.19 2
Party of Democratic Progress 1,873 5.03 2
Party for Bosnia and Herzegovina 1,749 4.70 2
SDP BiH—NS 1,643 4.41 1
Serb Democratic Party 1,638 4.40 1
Democratic People's Alliance 1,428 3.83 1
Minority candidate Alija Denjagić (535) — 1
Minority candidate Mejra Šečić (305) — 1
Total 37,252 31

Notes

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  1. ^ Elections in Mostar were conducted on 20 December 2020.
  2. ^ Local elections have not been held in Mostar since 2008 due to disputes around electoral laws.
  3. ^ The elected Mayor, Mirsad Peco, died on election day, likely necessitating a by-election.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "2020 Bosnian municipal elections results – izbori.ba". Central Electoral Commission of Bosnia and Herzegovina News. Retrieved 22 November 2020.
  2. ^ I.P. (23 May 2020). "CIK odlučio: Lokalni izbori se odgađaju za 15. novembar" (in Bosnian). Klix.ba. Retrieved 23 May 2020.
  3. ^ "Budget Delays Force Bosnia to Postpone Local Elections". 23 May 2020.
  4. ^ "Bosnia postpones local elections due to lack of funding". United States: ABC News.
  5. ^ "Bosnia local elections to be postponed due to lack of funding". 24 May 2020.
  6. ^ "Bosnia gets government after 14-month impasse | DW | 23.12.2019". Deutsche Welle.
  7. ^ "Over 3.2 Million Voters on Central Voter List for Local Elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina". 22 October 2020. Retrieved 14 March 2023.
  8. ^ "Central Election Commission of BiH revealed Number of Voters for Local Elections". 9 October 2020. Retrieved 14 March 2023.
  9. ^ "Almost the same Number of Inhabitants and Voters in Bosnia and Herzegovina". 11 October 2020. Retrieved 14 March 2023.
  10. ^ "Monopol nad demokratijom: Žene manjina na izbornim listama!". 6yka.com. Retrieved 14 March 2023.
  11. ^ "Izborni Zakon Bosne e i Hercegovine" (PDF). mizbori.ba (in Bosnian). Retrieved 13 March 2023.
  12. ^ "Izborni zakon Bosne i Hercegovine" (PDF). izbori.ba (in Bosnian). Central Election Commission of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
  13. ^ "Izbori za Gradsko vijeće Grada Sarajeva - bos". youtube.com. Central Election Commission of Bosnia and Herzegovina. 27 July 2024. Retrieved 12 August 2024.
  14. ^ "Statut Grada Sarajeva" (PDF). gradskovijece.sarajevo.ba. Sarajevo City Council. 9 October 2008. Retrieved 12 August 2024.
  15. ^ "Izbori za Skupštinu Grada Istočno Sarajevo - bos". youtube.com. Central Election Commission of Bosnia and Herzegovina. 27 July 2024. Retrieved 12 August 2024.
  16. ^ "Zakon o gradu Istočno Sarajevo". narodnaskupstinars.net (in Bosnian). National Assembly (Republika Srpska). 13 March 2020. Retrieved 12 August 2024.
  17. ^ "Statut Brčko distrikta" (PDF). skupstinabd.ba (in Bosnian). Brčko District Assembly. 14 January 2010. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
  18. ^ a b "Izbori u Gradu Mostaru - bos". youtube.com (in Bosnian). Central Election Commission of Bosnia and Herzegovina. 27 July 2024. Retrieved 10 August 2024.
  19. ^ "Čović i Izetbegović postigli sporazum o Mostaru". Al Jazeera Balkans (in Bosnian). Retrieved 19 March 2024.
  20. ^ "Predstavnički dom Parlamenta BiH izglasao izmjene Izbornog zakona za Mostar". www.aa.com.tr. Retrieved 19 March 2024.
  21. ^ ""Takmičenje" u masovnosti skupova između SDA i PDA u Banovićima". 28 October 2020. Retrieved 14 March 2023.
  22. ^ "How much have Political Parties spent for Election Campaign so far?". 4 November 2020. Retrieved 14 March 2023.
  23. ^ "Transparency International recorded over 1,400 Examples where public Resources were used to Electorally Promote Parties". 14 October 2020. Retrieved 14 March 2023.
  24. ^ "Federal Police arrested Mayor of Velika Kladusa Fikret Abdic". 18 June 2020. Retrieved 14 March 2023.
  25. ^ "Fikret Abdic released from Custody so that he can participate in the Election Campaign". 30 October 2020. Retrieved 14 March 2023.
  26. ^ "Inzko: Political Campaign again characterized by Divisive, Negative Rhetoric that deepens existing Divisions". 6 November 2020. Retrieved 14 March 2023.
  27. ^ Spaić, Igor (7 October 2020). "Central Election Commission disqualifies party from election over hate speech". N1. Retrieved 14 March 2023.
  28. ^ "Central Election Commission of BiH annulled the Certification for Participation in Elections of the United Srpska Party". 8 October 2020. Retrieved 14 March 2023.
  29. ^ "Central Electoral Commission prohibited from Publishing Excerpts from Central Voters' Register". 11 October 2020. Retrieved 14 March 2023.
  30. ^ "Court of BiH annuls Central Electoral Commission'S Decision in 'United Srpska' Case". 16 October 2020. Retrieved 14 March 2023.
  31. ^ "Balkan EU". Retrieved 14 March 2023.
  32. ^ "Enormous Increase in the Number of Voters as Alarm to Bosnia's Prosecutors Office". 24 October 2020. Retrieved 14 March 2023.
  33. ^ a b "3,500 Evidence of attempted Election Fraud in the Central Voters' List". 7 October 2020. Retrieved 14 March 2023.
  34. ^ ":: Central Election Commission Bosnia and Herzegovina". izbori.ba. Retrieved 14 March 2023.
  35. ^ Kovacevic, Danijel (16 October 2020). "As Bosnia Election Looms, Fears of Fraud in Votes Cast Abroad". Retrieved 14 March 2023.
  36. ^ Sarajevo Times
  37. ^ "Bogić Bogićević prihvatio kandidaturu za gradonačelnika Sarajeva". Radio Slobodna Evropa (in Serbo-Croatian). Retrieved 20 November 2020.
  38. ^ a b c d Zambelli, Andrea (17 November 2020). "BOSNIA: Elezioni locali, Sarajevo e Banja Luka passano alle opposizioni". Retrieved 14 March 2023.
  39. ^ Latal, Srecko (16 November 2020). "Opposition Takes Key Cities in Bosnia's Local Elections". Retrieved 14 March 2023.
  40. ^ "Nationalist parties lose key cities in Bosnia's municipal elections". euronews. 16 November 2020. Retrieved 14 March 2023.
  41. ^ "Opposition parties win major cities in Bosnia's local vote". Associated Press. 29 April 2021. Retrieved 14 March 2023.
  42. ^ "GRAFIČKI PRIKAZ SALE SKUPŠTINE BRČKO DISTRIKTA BIH" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 September 2007. Retrieved 14 March 2023.
  43. ^ The three-digit numbers in the municipality column are the codes used for the municipalities on the Central Electoral Commission site
  44. ^ "Major of Brčko". Archived from the original on 19 June 2018. Retrieved 14 March 2023.
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