Branko Petrić new president of the Central Election Commission

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - In the second round of voting with five votes "for", Petrić was elected as the new president of the CEC, taking office on October 1st. Branko Petrić was elected by secret ballot in the first round as the new president of the CEC. He received four votes, and Novak Božičković received three votes.

The majority of the seven members of the CEC decided on Petrić, although his term lasts until the confirmation of the results of the October elections, because Petrić's regular term expired on September 23rd this year. According to the Election Law, if a member of the CEC's term expires during the election process, it is extended until the confirmation of the election results. Irena Hadžibadić's term expires on October 1st.

During the discussion, it was pointed out that the current president is from the 'others' group, before her the president was from the Croatian people, and before that from the Bosniak people, which means that the position of the president of the CEC now belongs to a member from the Serb people.

The president of the CEC rotates every 21 months. This is the first time the rotation is happening during an election campaign.

Petrić was born in 1959 in Derventa. He graduated from the Faculty of Law in Belgrade. From 1992 to 1996, he was the president of the Basic Court, and then for two years the Minister of Justice in the Government of Republika Srpska. From 1998 to 2001, he was the Ambassador of Bosnia and Herzegovina to Slovenia. In June 2004, the BiH Parliament appointed him as a member of the BiH Election Commission. He was previously elected president of the CEC, from August 2005.