CEC certified 29 coalitions for the General Elections, Zdenko Lučić, but also some political parties fined for premature campaigning

(Patria) - In accordance with the Instruction on deadlines and sequence of election activities for the direct elections for the 2026 General Elections, the deadline for submitting applications for certification of coalitions expired on June 16, 2026 at 4:00 PM.

Based on the report on the verification of applications for certification of coalitions for participation in the 2026 General Elections, the Central Election Commission of Bosnia and Herzegovina today certified the applications of 29 coalitions.

An overview of the certified coalitions will be available on the website of the Central Election Commission of Bosnia and Herzegovina www.izbori.ba.

The submission of candidate lists begins on June 24 and lasts until July 6. After the verification and certification of candidate lists and candidates are completed, the Central Election Commission of Bosnia and Herzegovina will publish all certified candidate lists in daily newspapers and official gazettes by August 20.

At today's session, reports on violations of the provisions of Article 7.1 of the Election Law of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which relate to conducting premature election campaigns, were also considered.

The CEC of Bosnia and Herzegovina established the responsibility of political entities and candidates in several cases, and imposed fines of 3,000 KM each, along with an order to remove the disputed posts from social networks.

Among those sanctioned are HDZBiH, which was reported by independent candidate for the member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina Zdenko Lučić, due to Facebook posts assessed as premature campaigning, then HDZ 1990 and its president Ilija Cvitanović, due to activities on social networks in the period before the official start of the campaign.

Also fined were the Croatian Republican Party (GO Ljubuški), due to Facebook posts constituting premature election campaigning, NES BiH (OO Velika Kladuša), due to conducting premature campaigning on Facebook, People and Justice because party member Elvedin Okerić conducted premature campaigning through a Facebook post, as well as SNSD, also due to a Facebook post interpreted as premature election campaigning for the October elections.

In all the mentioned cases, a fine of 3,000 KM was imposed, as well as a measure to remove the disputed content from Facebook.

Candidate for the member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina Zdenko Lučić was given two fines. A fine of 3,000 KM due to premature campaigning, as his Facebook post was assessed. On the other hand, the report against Lučić for hate speech during Lučić's appearance on Face TV was rejected, as pointed out by a voter who also reported Lučić.

One of the decisions in the Lučić case caused differing views among CEC members, so member Irena Hadžiabdić said she does not see elements that would clearly indicate premature campaigning, and that it is more a critical comment than a promotion of the candidate and his program, which is the basis for imposing a sanction by the CEC BiH.

Hadžiabdić did not support the service's proposal on sanctions, adding that in this case it is a precedent.

On the other hand, CEC member Željko Bakalar assessed that there are elements of premature campaigning in the case, while CEC BiH member Vlado Rogić agreed with the service's stance, as did CEC BiH member Ahmet Šantić and Commission President Jovan Kalaba, who supported the decision by telephone vote that Lučić be sanctioned with 3,000 KM and that he remove the disputed post from his Facebook page.

Incidentally, independent candidate Zdenko Lučić must pay another 3,000 KM because the CEC BiH declared him responsible for premature campaigning in another case, following a voter's report regarding a published interview on the Večernji list portal.