The Coalition for Free and Fair Elections “Pod lupom” is implementing a civic, non-partisan election observation mission for the Early Election for the President of the Republic of Srpska from among the Serb people, scheduled for Sunday, November 23, 2025.
The observation mission includes 26 long-term observers (LTOs) representing 21 civil society organizations, all members of the Pod lupom Coalition. On election day, up to 400 short-term observers (STOs) will be deployed across the Republic of Srpska to monitor the electoral process.
Independent, non-partisan election observation plays a crucial role in maintaining citizens’ trust in the electoral process. The presence of observers ensures greater transparency, helps prevent electoral irregularities, and contributes to the free expression of voters’ will, the Coalition Pod lupom emphasized.
Until election day, long-term observers will monitor the work of local election commissions, document and report electoral irregularities and violations, as well as recruit and train election-day observers.
The Pod lupom Coalition has already submitted 10 reports of electoral irregularities to the Central Election Commission (CEC) of BiH, referring to premature campaigning, paid political advertising during the campaign ban period, and the misuse of children for political purposes. Unfortunately, some reports have already been dismissed, as the CEC interprets that they do not contain elements of an election campaign.
This does not change the fact that candidates are freely campaigning in the field — attending public events, meeting citizens, and publicly promoting themselves. However, according to the CEC BiH, this is not considered a campaign. Such an approach undermines the newly adopted provisions of the Election Law of BiH and perpetuates the inconsistent practices of the election administration in handling reports of electoral irregularities, thereby creating room for their recurrence in the future, the Coalition Pod lupom stated.
The Coalition also announced that on election day, its observers will monitor the process at approximately every fifth polling station across the Republic of Srpska. Election-day observers will oversee all phases of the election process — from the setup and opening of polling stations, voting, closing, and vote counting, to the packing of election materials. Any irregularities that could affect the electoral process will be closely monitored, and immediate action will be taken to address them and ensure elections are conducted in accordance with the law.
Pod lupom observers will be deployed at a representative sample of polling stations throughout the Republic of Srpska, ensuring statistically reliable monitoring and reporting on election day developments. This approach enables the Coalition to gain a credible and evidence-based overview of the regularity of the election process.
The Coalition Pod lupom calls on all political entities and certified candidates to respect election rules and urges all competent institutions — the election administration, law enforcement agencies, and prosecutors’ offices — to cooperate and respond promptly during the election period.
All citizens are encouraged to report any observed electoral irregularities to the Coalition Pod lupom via the toll-free number 080 05 05 05 or through the Coalition’s social media channels.
