LOCAL ELECTIONS IN BOSNIA TO BE HELD ON OCTOBER 5,2008

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (May 9,2008) – The Bosnian Central Elections Commission passed a decision in Sarajevo yesterday on local elections in Bosnia in 2008. The elections will be held on Sunday, October 5 2008.The President of the Bosnian Central Elections Commission Suad Arnautovic told the press that the elections will be held for municipal councils and assemblies, for mayors of municipalities, the Brcko District Assembly, as well as for the Mostar City Council and Banja Luka Assembly and Mayor.

The Commission also passed the Instruction on Deadlines and Timetable of the Electoral Activities for the Local Elections. Arnautovic said that the first of these deadlines will expire May 23. That is the time when political parties and independent candidates, as well as associations of citizens are obliged to submit the applications for participation at the elections. The Commission is to verify the applications by June 7.

Arnautovic said that the regular electoral lists currently contain the names of 2,98 million voters in Bosnia. According to the Commission’s data, these local elections will cost about 11 million Bosnian Marks. The Bosnian state institutions will provide 4 million Bosnian Marks and municipal authorities will provide the rest of the money. According to the Commission’s decision, the elections abroad will be held at the Bosnian diplomatic and consular offices in 25 countries.

He emphasized that these will be the first elections in Bosnia at which members of minorities will be able to vote for their representatives at the municipal bodies. They will be able to vote for their representatives in municipalities in which over 3 per cent of their nation lived before the 1992-1995 Serbian,Montenegrin and Croatian aggressions against Bosnia.

After the Bosnian State Parliament adopted on Wednesday changes and amendments to the bosnian Electoral Law, in relation to the voting process in Srebrenica, the Commission will issue a special sub-legal act which will regulate the entire process of enlisting the voters for the Srebrenica Base Electoral Unit.

Arnautovic stated that the list will be formed on the basis of the passive registration. The list will also contain the names of persons who express a wish to vote in Srebrenica. All the persons who registered via post office or from abroad will be at the list as well.

The process will be implemented on the basis of the Commission’s special action plan.
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