Kajganić saves Dodik: BiH Prosecutor's Office investigates CEC members over repeated counting

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - The BiH Prosecutor's Office has launched urgent investigations against members of the Central Election Commission of BiH due to their order for a repeated count of votes for the President of Republika Srpska, Istraga.ba portal has learned.

The investigations are being conducted based on a report filed by SNSD of Milorad Dodik.

"In the case of this Prosecutor's Office, investigations are being conducted into the allegations from the criminal complaint filed against several persons for the criminal offense of abuse of office or authority. Accordingly, in accordance with Article 35, Paragraph 2, Point d) of the Criminal Procedure Code, you are required to provide us with the minutes from the 61st session of the CEC held on October 10, 2022, as well as the Order issued to the Main Counting Center for opening bags and recounting ballot papers ex officio at all polling stations in Republika Srpska for the level of President and Vice-President of Republika Srpska, adopted at the aforementioned session," stated the act from the BiH Prosecutor's Office, which was sent to the Central Election Commission of BiH on Friday.

The BiH Prosecutor's Office confirmed to us that the case was formed based on the SNSD's report. We remind you that the CEC issued the Order for recounting ballots on Monday. The President of SNSD, Milorad Dodik, held a press conference on Tuesday and announced the filing of a criminal complaint against the CEC members. The complaint was filed on Wednesday, and the acting Chief Prosecutor of the BiH Prosecutor's Office, Milanko Kajganić, immediately assigned the case for urgent processing. It took the prosecutor less than 48 hours to contact the CEC and request the minutes and documentation.

"At this morning's collegium," said the President of the CEC, Suad Arnautović, at the session held on Monday, "the CEC BiH reviewed several objections and had evidence and video materials at its disposal. The election process is so contaminated that it is impossible to determine the exact results. The CEC BiH decided to issue an order to the Main Counting Center to, for the purpose of correct consolidation, open bags from 2,239 regular polling stations, including Brčko District of BiH, for the President and Vice-Presidents of Republika Srpska."

The opposition from Republika Srpska claimed that their candidate Jelena Trivić had won the race for the President of RS. SNSD's candidate Milorad Dodik declared victory on the same night. According to current results, Dodik won about 291,000 votes, and Trivić won 262,000. In the meantime, it was determined that, for reasons unknown at this time, as many as 71 bags of empty ballots are missing in Doboj, which further raises suspicion about the election process. However, the BiH Prosecutor's Office has not reacted to these allegations so far. Instead, Milanko Kajganić, who is close to SNSD, decided to urgently investigate the members of the Central Election Commission of BiH due to their decision to recount the ballots for the President of Republika Srpska.

Let us recall that at the beginning of September, the acting Chief Prosecutor of the Prosecutor's Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Milanko Kajganić, and the prosecutor of the BiH Prosecutor's Office, Ismet Šuškić, held a press conference where they spoke about the pre-election process and the role of the BiH Prosecutor's Office and partner police agencies in the country in ensuring fair elections in October this year.

"We have engaged, along with other prosecutor's offices in BiH, to do everything within our power and jurisdiction to ensure that the election process proceeds with as few irregularities as possible, or to prevent and sanction those who commit criminal offenses related to the election process," said Kajganić.

The head of the BiH Prosecutor's Office then called on citizens to report all pre-election irregularities and violations, such as actions related to offering money, threats, and the like.

"I warn that all prosecutor's offices in BiH and police agencies will undertake all activities to prove such criminal offenses and prosecute them before the Court of BiH and other courts in the country," said Kajganić.

But instead of obvious irregularities, Kajganić decided to investigate the Central Election Commission of BiH. And based on the report from SNSD.