Who will form the majority in the Municipal Council of Stolac?

Repeated local elections were held in Stolac yesterday, after the elections from October 2nd last year were annulled due to irregularities at polling stations.

The Central Election Commission (CEC BiH) announced on Sunday evening that the old mayor, Stjepan Bošković, a candidate of HDZ BiH, had won the mayoral race in Stolac. This is his fourth term as mayor of Stolac. He was first elected in 2004. Out of a total of 7,180 valid votes, Bošković won 4,276 votes on Sunday. His opponent, Mate Komšić, won 2,904 votes. Komšić was an independent candidate.

In the coming weeks, Stolac should also get a Municipal Council. It is not yet known who will have the majority in the Municipal Council of Stolac. HDZ BiH won 3,654 votes in yesterday's elections, or 49.82 percent of the total votes. The Initiative for Stolac received 40.71 percent, or 2,986 votes. The Croatian Coalition for Stolac HSP-HDZ 1990 won 305 votes, independent candidate Vidoje Maslać won 281 votes...

There are 17 councilors in the Municipality of Stolac. As things stand, HDZ BiH could have 8 councilors, Initiative for Stolac 7, the HSP-HDZ 1990 coalition will have one councilor. One council seat also belongs to independent candidate Vidoje Maslać. The Initiative for Stolac hopes to form a coalition with HSP-HDZ 1990, as well as with Maslić, and thus secure a majority in the Municipal Council of Stolac. 

HDZ BiH managed to retain the mayoral position in Stolac, but lost two council seats compared to the previous elections.

A clear picture of who will form the majority in the Municipal Council in Stolac will only be known after the votes from the diaspora arrive by mail.

Around 1,000 voters from the diaspora were eligible to vote in the Local Elections in Stolac. The Initiative for Stolac expects that about 90 percent of these voters could be their voters. How many voters from the diaspora voted, to whom they gave their vote, and whether this can ultimately determine the local government in Stolac, will be known in the coming days, after the counting of diaspora votes, writes Patria.