麻豆影视

Skip to main content

Reformists gain in Bosnia elections, though change unlikely

Zeljka Cvijanovic, planned successor for the post of Serbian member of the presidency, attends a news conference after claiming victory in a general election in the Bosnian town of Banja Luka, 240 kilometres northwest of Sarajevo, Oct. 3, 2022. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic) Zeljka Cvijanovic, planned successor for the post of Serbian member of the presidency, attends a news conference after claiming victory in a general election in the Bosnian town of Banja Luka, 240 kilometres northwest of Sarajevo, Oct. 3, 2022. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)
Share
SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina -

Reformists who ran on fighting corruption and clientelism in public office appeared set to win an important race in Bosnia鈥檚 elections Sunday that could give them greater sway over the direction of the country which has never fully recovered from its 1992-95 sectarian war and remains divided along ethnic lines.

The first preliminary results released by Bosnia鈥檚 central election commission early Monday showed cooperation-prone contenders Denis Becirovic and Zeljko Komsic on course to win respective Bosniak and Croat seats in the tripartite presidency. However, the reformists were likely to be joined by Zeljka Cvijanovic from the strongest Bosnian Serb party 鈥 the secessionist and staunchly pro-Russian SNSD.

Moscow has often been accused by the West of seeking to destabilize the country and the rest of the Balkans through its Serb allies in the region, and the Sunday ballot was held amid growing fears the Kremlin might attempt to reignite the conflict in Bosnia to deflect attention from its campaign in Ukraine.

The election included contests for the three members of Bosnia鈥檚 shared, multiethnic presidency, the president of one of its two highly autonomous parts, and parliament deputies at different, in part overlapping, levels of governance.

Bosnia鈥檚 institutional set-up, often described as one of the most complicated in the world, was introduced by a U.S.-brokered peace agreement that ended the war in the 1990s between its three main ethnic groups 鈥 Muslim Bosniaks, Orthodox Serbs and Catholic Croats. Under the terms of the agreement, Bosnia was divided into two highly independent entities鈥 one run by Serbs and the other shared by Bosniaks and Croats 鈥 which have broad autonomy but are linked by joint, multi-ethnic institutions. All countrywide actions require consensus from all three ethnic groups.

If the preliminary results hold, Cvijanovic will take over the post from her political party's boss, Milorad Dodik, who chose to run for the president of Bosnia鈥檚 Serb-run part rather than seek a second term in the shared, countrywide presidency.

Both Dodik, and his main contender, Jelena Trivic, proclaimed victory in the race for the Bosnian Serb president. Their claims will be tested later on Monday, when the election commission is expected to announce preliminary results of the presidential ballot for Bosnia鈥檚 Serb-run part and the races for parliament deputies at the state, entity and regional levels.

Prior to the polls, analysts predicted that the long-entrenched nationalists of all ethnic stripes, who have enriched cronies and ignored the needs of the people, will remain dominant in the legislatures at all levels, largely because the sectarian post-war system of governance leaves pragmatic, reform-minded Bosnians with little incentive to vote. Election turnout on Sunday was 50 per cent or over 2 percentage points down from the 2018 general election.

On Sunday, shortly after the vote count begun, Bosnia鈥檚 international overseer, Christian Schmidt, announced in a YouTube video that he was amending the country鈥檚 electoral law 鈥渢o ensure functionality and timely implementation of election results.鈥 Schmidt assured citizens in the video that the changes 鈥渨ill in no way affect鈥 the votes cast on Sunday.

The 1995 peace agreement gave broad powers to the international high representative, the post currently held by Schmidt, including the ability to impose laws and to dismiss officials and civil servants who undermine the country鈥檚 fragile post-war ethnic balance.

The changes imposed by Schmidt will affect the size of the parliament of the Bosniak-Croat part of the country, and prevent blockades of the formation of its government.

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

Two nephews of the beloved Harry R. Hamilton share stories about his life and legacy.

The union representing some 1,200 dockworkers at the Port of Montreal has overwhelmingly rejected a deal with their employers association.

Local Spotlight

For the second year in a row, the 鈥楪ift-a-Family鈥 campaign is hoping to make the holidays happier for children and families in need throughout Barrie.

Some of the most prolific photographers behind CTV Skywatch Pics of the Day use the medium for fun, therapy, and connection.

A young family from Codroy Valley, N.L., is happy to be on land and resting with their newborn daughter, Miley, after an overwhelming, yet exciting experience at sea.

As Connor Nijsse prepared to remove some old drywall during his garage renovation, he feared the worst.

A group of women in Chester, N.S., has been busy on the weekends making quilts 鈥 not for themselves, but for those in need.

A Vancouver artist whose streetside singing led to a chance encounter with one of the world's biggest musicians is encouraging aspiring performers to try their hand at busking.

Ten-thousand hand-knit poppies were taken from the Sanctuary Arts Centre and displayed on the fence surrounding the Dartmouth Cenotaph on Monday.

A Vancouver man is saying goodbye to his nine-to-five and embarking on a road trip from the Canadian Arctic to Antarctica.