BS
In mid-July 2026, Pod Lupom – the Coalition for Free and Fair Elections submitted an initiative to the Central Election Commission (CIK) to initiate proceedings ex officio against the Coalition of Draško Stanivuković – Safe Srpska Movement for a possible violation of the Election Law, specifically premature election campaigning.
In its initiative, Pod Lupom stated that on July 11, 2026, BN Portal published a video clip discussing the plans of the Safe Srpska Movement for the upcoming general elections in October 2026.
The video stated: “(…) there is now one single goal, and that is change in October.”
Igor Radojičić, Deputy President of the Movement, stated: “Dr. Branko Blanuša will be a dignified, respected and impartial President of Republika Srpska. Draško Stanivuković will be a young, energetic and reform-oriented prime minister. The Safe Srpska Movement and the Serbian Democratic Party already have greater support than SNSD for the first time in 20 years. Marinko Božović will successfully represent Serbian interests in the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, while Dr. Jelena Trivić is an indispensable and important element of a united opposition.”
The disputed video could still be found online on August 25. Link to the content: https://www.facebook.com/reel/917716421361074
Based on the content of the video, Pod Lupom considered Article 7.1 of the Election Law of Bosnia and Herzegovina to have been violated, arguing that the video constituted election campaigning during the period of premature campaigning prohibited by law. The provision states that “during the period of premature election campaigning, conducting election campaigns in electronic, online and print media and through social networks, or any form of public campaign advertising, is prohibited.”
The Central Election Commission requested a statement from the political entity. The Coalition responded that the complaint was unfounded and untimely. They also emphasized that Radojičić had made the statement while answering journalists’ questions and that, in terms of its content, it contained nothing more than “the registration, certification and publication of the names of candidates (…)”.
The CIK did not accept this explanation. It determined that Igor Radojičić, president of the Independent Movement “Svojim putem” – Igor Radojičić, and as a member of the Draško Stanivuković – Safe Srpska Coalition (PSS, PDP, NPSP), had conducted election campaigning—premature campaigning in this case—in the aforementioned video, and that the Coalition was responsible for it.
Explaining its decision, the CIK stated that the messages conveyed in the video were “not neutral reporting on political activities, but rather affirmative promotion of the candidates and the coalition, highlighting their advantages, voter support and calling for their victory.” According to the CIK, this created a positive impression of the candidates among voters and encouraged electoral support for them before the official election campaign period began.
The Central Election Commission of Bosnia and Herzegovina imposed a 3,000 KM fine on the members of the Coalition, taking into account as a mitigating circumstance that the political entity had not previously been sanctioned during the current election cycle.
