US Embassy on Bunoza's Election Law: HDZ BiH cannot force through the solution it prefers!

(Patria) - The US Embassy in Sarajevo has issued a reaction regarding the proposal of the Election Law of BiH submitted by Davor Bunoza (HDZ), Minister of Justice of BiH.

"The amendments to the Election Law of BiH, proposed by the Ministry of Justice, would unfortunately contribute little to strengthening the integrity of the electoral system in BiH. At the same time, they introduce very problematic changes to the Election Law of BiH, particularly those related to the election of members of the Presidency of BiH.

As legal experts constantly emphasize, implementing the judgments of the European Court of Human Rights regarding the Presidency of BiH requires amending the Constitution of BiH. This proposal would de facto introduce a Croatian electoral unit in the Federation of BiH, which was discussed and rejected during the talks - facilitated by the US and EU - on constitutional and electoral reform in 2021 and 2022.

Progress on implementing the judgments of the European Court of Human Rights regarding the Presidency of BiH will not be achieved if HDZ BiH continues to repeatedly propose and insist on politically and legally problematic amendments to the Election Law of BiH. HDZ BiH cannot force through the solution it prefers – it must sincerely negotiate and work on building the consensus and compromise necessary to amend the Constitution of BiH. The party has had plenty of time to do so, but has not done it.

The amendments proposed by the Ministry of Justice would also change the method of electing all legislative bodies in a way that favors larger ethno-national parties, which could have devastating consequences for opposition political parties across BiH. The amendments also expose the Central Election Commission to political manipulation, instead of strengthening its capacities. Finally, these amendments do not reduce the control of political parties over polling boards, which is a key reform necessary for strengthening democracy in BiH.

The purpose of the law on strengthening the integrity of the electoral process is for citizens to regain trust in democratic processes in the country, among other things, by ensuring that voters' votes are counted as citizens voted. Its purpose is not to further entrench the leaders of ethno-national political parties who are most responsible for undermining democracy in BiH in positions of power. It is regrettable, but not surprising, that some political parties seek to exploit the weaknesses of the existing electoral system, instead of striving to ensure that the will of voters is respected," the US Embassy stated.