Bećirović supports Schmidt's decision: Electoral integrity is being restored

Chairperson of the BiH Presidency Denis Bećirović supported the decision of the High Representative in BiH Christian Schmidt on technical amendments to the Election Law.

Bećirović emphasized that Bosnia and Herzegovina is a democratic state that functions in accordance with the law and on the basis of free and democratic elections. And there can be no free and democratic elections if electoral integrity is called into question.

The decisions of the High Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina are the result of his powers derived from the Dayton Peace Agreement. Christian Schmidt, as the legitimate High Representative of the international community in Bosnia and Herzegovina, has the authority to intervene in political processes in Bosnia and Herzegovina to ensure the implementation of the Dayton Agreement. The Dayton Agreement, among other things, states that peaceful relations within a pluralistic society are best created by democratic bodies of authority and fair procedures, Bećirović added.

Electoral integrity is a key concept in the democratic electoral process and is of great importance for the stability, transparency, and legitimacy of elections. Electoral integrity ensures the legitimacy of elected officials. Thanks to the integrity of the electoral process, citizens are assured that the election of authorities is based on their will, not on the will of vote counters.

Technical amendments were necessary and urgently needed in Bosnian society. Therefore, I express regret that the amendments to the Election Law were not adopted earlier, within the highest legislative body of authority - the Parliamentary Assembly of BiH.

In any case, technical amendments restore electoral integrity, which ultimately results in citizens' trust in the entire democratic process. Amendments that result in citizens' conviction that elections are fair and free from manipulation, while simultaneously maintaining the vitality of democracy in Bosnia and Herzegovina and ensuring that election results reflect the will of the citizens.

Citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina deserve that the election of authorities be conducted in accordance with the long-term constitutional principles of the rule of law and legal certainty. Election rules in Bosnia and Herzegovina must not deviate from those in force in modern democratic states, Bećirović concluded.