Bosnians are heading to the polls to choose the next government at all three of the state, entity and canton levels.
asserted
Bosnians → head → levels
It may seem complicated, but for a country divided into two entities – the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Republika Srpska, along with Brcko District – this is nothing new.
uncertain
this → seem → District
When do Bosnia’s elections take place?
asserted
elections → take → place
The general elections are scheduled for Sunday, October 4.
asserted
elections → schedule → Sunday
More than 3.4 million people are eligible to vote.
asserted
people → vote → ?
What’s different about this election?
asserted
What → ’ → election
This year, new election technology will be used.
asserted
technology → use → ?
Voters will be identified using biometric devices, while ballot papers will be scanned rather than simply placed in ballot boxes.
asserted
papers → identify → boxes
The use of scanners, however, does not mean voting will be fully electronic.
asserted
voting → mean → scanners
Votes will still be cast and recorded on paper, but verification and counting should be faster and more transparent, while voter identification should be more accurate.
asserted
identification → cast → paper
Who is running for the Presidency?
asserted
Who → run → Presidency
Candidates for the Bosniak representative include current Presidency member Denis Becirovic of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Bakir Izetbegovic of the Party of Democratic Action (SDA), Semir Efendic of the Party for Bosnia and Herzegovina (Stranka za BiH), and Fahrudin Radoncic of the Union for a Better Future of BiH (SBB).
asserted
Candidates → include → BiH
Izetbegovic, the president of the centre-right SDA, the biggest Bosniak party in the country, is running for his third term after being defeated by Becirovic in 2022.
asserted
Izetbegovic → run → 2022
Three candidates will run for the Croat seat in the Presidency: Darijana Filipovic of the Croatian Democratic Union of Bosnia and Herzegovina (HDZ BiH), Slaven Kovacevic of the Democratic Front (DF), and Zdenko Lucic, a candidate supported by a coalition of five Croat parties.
asserted
candidates → run → parties
The current Serb member of the Presidency, Zeljka Cvijanovic from the right-wing Alliance of Independent Social Democrats (SNSD), is running for a second term.
asserted
member → run → term
During her term on the country’s top state body, which began in November 2022, just a few months after Russia’s war in Ukraine started, she maintained close and continuous cooperation with Russia and its president, Vladimir Putin.
asserted
she → begin → Russia
SNSD is led by Milorad Dodik, the former president of Republika Srpska, best known for his separatist moves and for challenging the Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the decisions of former High Representative Christian Schmidt.
asserted
SNSD → lead → Schmidt
Cvijanovic will face Marinko Bozovic of the Serb Democratic Party (SDS) and Nebojsa Vukanovic of the List for Justice and Order.
asserted
Cvijanovic → face → Justice
Voters will be choosing representatives for 14 governments, as well as members of the country’s three-member Presidency.
asserted
Voters → choose → Presidency
Each entity has its own president, assembly, prime minister and ministers.
asserted
entity → have → president
The Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina is further divided into 10 cantons, each with its own government.
asserted
Federation → divide → government
For all this to happen, the Central Election Commission (CIK), the main body responsible for overseeing the voting process, earlier said that 75 political parties and four independent candidates were registered and eligible to participate.
asserted
parties → happen → process
How are Presidency members chosen?
asserted
members → choose → ?
When registered voters go to the polls, they do not elect one president, but choose one of three members of the country’s collective head of state.
asserted
they → register → state
The Bosniak and Croat members are elected from the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, while the Serb member is elected from Republika Srpska.
asserted
member → elect → Srpska
This is because the majority of Bosniaks and Croats live in the Federation, while most Serbs live in Republika Srpska.
asserted
Serbs → live → Srpska
The election of the Croat member has weighed on Bosniak-Croat relations for years and has often been used as a reason for political blockades.
asserted
election → weigh → blockades
Parties gathered around the centre-right Croatian Democratic Union of Bosnia and Herzegovina (HDZ BiH) are demanding changes to the Election Law, saying they want to prevent Bosniak voters from influencing the election of the Croat member of the Presidency.
But that would also require changes to the Constitution, which allows all citizens in the Federation to choose whether they want to vote for the Bosniak or the Croat member.
asserted
they → gather → Bosniak
What about citizens who live outside their constituent group’s voting area?
asserted
who → live → area
A Serb living in the Federation, or a Bosniak or Croat living in Republika Srpska, who wants to run would not be able to do so, nor can they vote for those they consider to be their own representatives.
asserted
they → live → those
How is the state-level government chosen?
asserted
government → choose → ?
Citizens elect representatives to the Parliamentary Assembly, which consists of two houses.
asserted
which → elect → houses
Forty-two representatives will be elected to the House of Representatives.
asserted
representatives → elect → Representatives
Two-thirds are directly elected from the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and one-third from Republika Srpska.
asserted
thirds → elect → Srpska
A quorum consists of a majority of all members elected to the House of Representatives.
asserted
quorum → consist → Representatives
The second chamber – the House of Peoples – has 15 delegates and is elected indirectly through the institutions.
asserted
chamber → have → institutions
It consists of Bosniaks, Croats and Serbs – five from each group.
asserted
It → consist → group
What happens with the entities?
asserted
What → happen → entities
The election of entity-level authorities works somewhat differently.
asserted
election → work → authorities
In Republika Srpska, citizens directly elect the National Assembly, as well as the entity president and vice presidents.
asserted
citizens → elect → Assembly
…and 11 more, not listed.
The Aporia
