Bešlija: Election leaflets are already being distributed in Sarajevo!

The "Pod lupom" (Under the Microscope) Coalition is monitoring the pre-election period in Bosnia and Herzegovina with 42 long-term observers currently deployed across the country, reports the Patria News Agency. Asim Bešlija, spokesperson for the "Pod lupom" Coalition, says they do not have the right to file complaints, but they send remarks to the Central Election Commission (CEC).

- What we consider to be wrong and what could be a violation of the Election Law, we forward as a remark to the CEC, and it is up to them whether they will accept it and act upon it - says Bešlija.

During this monitoring period, long-term observers have recorded five events in the field that can be characterized as an election campaign during a time when it is not permitted. The Coalition has submitted documentation to the CEC for one case where there is suspicion of violating rules and regulations regarding conducting an election campaign before its official start.

- There have been such events in the media, and our observers have seen them too. Party delegations are arriving, party symbols are being used at public events or events funded by the budget. We have a case, but we cannot speak about it specifically because it is in procedure, where leaflets representing candidates have started to be distributed. In Sarajevo, one party distributed flyers with a candidate and their ballot number - says Bešlija.

He added that their observers are non-partisan and cannot perform any functions in political parties during elections, and training and instructions on standards of conduct will be provided.

- We have already held a large number of meetings with political parties, and all of them have expressed a desire for cooperation. Because, since 2006, there has not been mass non-partisan election observation - added Bešlija.

Otherwise, according to data from the field, two months before the General Elections in 2014, five out of 142 municipal election commissions (MEC) were not fully formed, specifically in Bratunac, Čapljina, Čelić, Krupa na Uni, and Kupres (RS).

Delays in the formation of MECs are present even though the commissions were supposed to have completed a series of activities by now, such as publishing provisional voter lists, determining the type and number of polling stations, and assigning seats in polling station committees to political entities. The deadline for determining the number and type of polling stations was August 8.

By the prescribed deadline, 130 MECs determined the number and type of polling stations, while the remaining 12 did not, for which the Election Law of BiH prescribes fines ranging from 200 to 1,000 KM.