The Coalition for Free and Fair Elections, Pod Lupom, has presented the findings of the long-term observation of the 2022 General election in BiH for the period July 25 -September 11. The findings refer to the work of the local election administration, compliance with the deadlines outlined in the electoral calendar, and registered and reported election irregularities.
The Coalition’s observation mission recorded 942 election irregularities and 95 omissions in the work of the local election administration, including violations of deadlines. Most of these irregularities, i.e., 484 cases, relate to premature election campaigning at a time when it is prohibited by law. Among other most frequent irregularities, 271 refer to the abuse of public resources for election purposes, including 54 cases where public officials participated in a campaign of a political subject.
The Coalition emphasizes that the trade of the seats on the polling station committees raises serious concerns. The observers report 20 such cases in 18 municipalities and cities. Four such cases have been reported to CEC BiH, which soon should for the first time pass a decision on the reports of this type of irregularity that has now finally been addressed in the latest changes and amendments to the Election Law BiH.
There are indications that the trade of the seats on the polling station committees has changed from political corruption to an even worse form, systemic corruption. Pod Lupom has received reports from several places, and there is evidence that the local election commissions are participating in manipulations with the composition of the election committees by appointing partisan persons as representatives of the local election commission.
We are reminding all political subjects as well as the local election commissions that the trade of the seats on the polling station committees is prohibited as well as any false representation, and that rigorous sanctions are anticipated. The Coalition monitors all decisions on the appointment of members of the polling station committees, conducts analyses and checks using a new methodology and that underlines that no one will avoid accountability for this type of election fraud – the Coalition stated in its statement.
As regards the work of the local election commission, 35 local election commissions did not display a list of members of the polling station committees with designated political subjects to which members of the committee belong, which casts a shadow on this segment of the election process.
Furthermore, during the observation process, ten complaints have been filed regarding the decisions of the local election commissions, with most of them concerning filling the seats on the polling station committees. Further, half of the local election commissions did not hold sessions regularly.
The positive information is that as many as 14 of the Coalition’s recommendations for the improvement of the electoral process have been implemented into the election rules in the last six months – eight through the CEC´s Rulebook on the conduct of elections, four through the High Representative’s Decision on changes and amendments to the Election law, and two through other implementing acts of CEC BiH. There are no cases of deceased persons in the Central Voter Register or reports about the abuse of voting by mail, which is proof that election fraud can be prevented through some concrete and high-quality improvements.
Pod Lupom calls on citizens to report all observed irregularities via its webpage www.podlupom.org or at the toll-free number 080 05 05 05.
Citizens are also encouraged to learn more about political parties, candidates, and programs before they decide for whom to vote and to use their right to vote because that is the only way to prevent the abuse of their votes.
The Coalition states that it will present all of its findings in more detail in a Preliminary report on the long-term observation of the 2022 General Election in BiH at a press conference scheduled for September 30, in Sarajevo.
