Politicians in Bosnia and Herzegovina Locked in Dispute Over Electoral Legislation

A Bosnian election sign in 1996 was graffitied by a Bosnian Serb supporter (National Archives).

United States Special Envoy Matthew Palmer and European Union diplomat Angelina Eichhorst met with Bosnian politicians Dragan Čović and Bakir Izetbegović in Sarajevo on October 28 to discuss election reform in Bosnia-Herzegovina. The two politicians currently hold opposing views on the  country’s future voting methods and how they can best represent the multi-ethnic country.

Bosnia and Herzegovina currently has a rotating presidential system, meaning that ethnically Bosniak, Croat, and Serb presidents take turns in power. In the upcoming  election, a Croatian candidate will be up for election. 

Dragan Čović, President of the Croatian Democratic Union of Bosnia and Herzegovina (HDZ), emphasized his party’s demands for equal political and institutional representation for  all three of the country’s primary constituent peoples: Bosniaks, Serbs, and Croats.

“Election law of BiH (Bosnia and Herzegovina) an urgent matter, equality & legitimate representation of constituent peoples key for functionality. Equality and non-discrimination high priorities for a [flag of the European Union] BiH,” wrote Čović in a recent Tweet.

Čović’s party wants to amend the constitution to only allow for ethnic Croats to vote for the Croat presidency. This change would require a constitutional amendment; requiring support from the other ethnic groups in the country. These calls for election reform by Croats in Bosnia and Herzegovina have garnered support from Croatia, the European Union, and the United States.

Bakir Izetbegović, a Bosniak politician and the president of the Party of Democratic Action (SDA), advocated the current electoral policy - where  members of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina to be elected indirectly in parliament - to remain in place.

“Before the start of any talks, I wanted to clearly say publicly, of course to those who are the mediators of these negotiations, but also to the public that it will not go [Čović and the HDZ’s] way and that a balanced agreement must be reached in which the pro-Bosnian side will be satisfied,” said Izetbegović in a TV appearance following the meeting.

Izetbegović also met with Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the president of Turkey (which has a large Bosniak population) to discuss the debate over election reforms. According to the SDA, Izetbegović and Erdogan also focused on strengthening economic cooperation between Turkey and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

“Izetbegović thanked Erdogan for the Republic of Turkey’s support to Bosnia and Herzegovina in the political and economic field,” wrote the SDA.

The Organization for Security and Co-Operation in Europe (OSCE) has voiced its support for the urgency of election reform in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

“Leaders must focus on constructive dialogue to find a way out of the current situation and take necessary steps to rebuild trust and push key reforms – including resolving amendments to BiH Election Law,” said Ann Linde, the Swedish Minister for Foreign Affairs and OSCE Chairperson-in-Office.

Presidential and Parliamentary elections will be held in Bosnia and Herzegovina in October 2022, meaning that  any amendments to the election law will need to be passed before January 2022.