CEC reacts to political pressures from parties

(Patria) - The Central Election Commission of Bosnia and Herzegovina is, in accordance with Article 2.9 of the Election Law of BiH, an independent body that reports directly to the Parliamentary Assembly of BiH and whose powers derive from it. One of the legal authorities of the CEC BiH is initiating amendments to the Election Law of BiH.

"Due to the current epidemiological situation in BiH, the Central Election Commission of BiH unanimously adopted the Initiative to initiate the procedure for adopting the Law on Amendments to the Election Law of BiH, and submitted it to the Parliamentary Assembly of BiH. With this Initiative, the CEC BiH initiated minimal changes to the Election Law of BiH, through an amendment to the Election Law of BiH, which would enable the CEC BiH to make a decision on postponing the calling and holding of elections, in order to prevent the implementation of electoral activities from the Election Law of BiH, during a declared natural disaster or other calamity, i.e., during a state of emergency.
 
Appreciating the public interest in being accurately and objectively informed, we point out that the said Initiative is not based on predictions of the development of the epidemiological situation in October when regular elections, in accordance with the Election Law of BiH, should be held, as persistently and incorrectly presented in some media.
 
The said Initiative is based on the indisputable fact that in April, when the CEC BiH should be conducting preparatory activities preceding the calling of elections, we are facing a serious epidemiological situation, as well as on the fact that it is very likely that the said epidemiological situation will still be current in May. For this reason, the CEC BiH reacted in a timely and responsible manner, bearing in mind the deadlines for conducting electoral activities, some of which begin to run immediately after the decision on calling and holding elections is made, i.e., already in May.
 
The importance of free elections in a democratic system has not been, nor will it ever be, called into question by the CEC BiH. In this regard, we consider the political pressures on the CEC BiH, which are manifested through numerous media appearances, to be unacceptable. We hope that all democratically elected members of the Parliamentary Assembly of BiH will recognize the meaning, reasons and goal of the submitted Initiative, and through its adoption or through other solutions they deem more quality and better, will ensure the legal prerequisites for conducting free elections, which includes the unimpeded and safe conduct of electoral activities during the election period, starting from the day of calling the elections until the day of holding the elections," the CEC stated.