Bosnia's high representative makes ‘technical changes’ to election law

BELGRADE, Serbia

Bosnia and Herzegovina's high representative made ''technical changes'' Tuesday to the Balkan country’s election law.

At an extraordinary press conference in the capital Sarajevo, Christian Schmidt – who is responsible for overseeing the implementation of the 1995 pact that ended the Bosnian war – announced that he decided to make changes in the election law regarding the integrity of the election process.

According to Schmidt, these changes include the appointment of the heads of ballot box committees by the Central Election Commission of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the introduction of digital scanners, voter identification and video surveillance.

Schmidt said that after Bosnia and Herzegovina becomes a member of the European Union, the Office of the High Representative (OHR) will "be a thing of the past" and he made the decision for all citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

He emphasized that ballot papers will be scanned and counted, preventing them from being changed or a different result from the ballot box.

"Citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina have the right to have their votes counted accurately," Schmidt said.

The technical changes will come into force after they are published on the OHR’s website.

The EU recalled that Schmidt's executive powers should be used only as a measure of last resort against irreparable unlawful acts.

''The EU expects that Bosnia and Herzegovina authorities implement the required reforms, ensuring that elections are conducted in line with European standards by implementing OSCE/ODIHR and relevant Venice Commission recommendations and ensuring transparency of political party financing,'' said a statement by the bloc.

The statement also said that extensive international supervision is incompatible with the European future of Bosnia Herzegovina and expects all stakeholders to act responsibly and show restraint in the period ahead.

Schmidt announced on the night of the Oct. 2, 2022 general elections that he had enacted controversial reforms to the election law.

After polls closed in the presidential and parliamentary elections, he said he had signed two decisions for the functionality and timely implementation of election results in a document he called the "functionality package," stating that they were related to the government and coalition-building processes.

The decision was fiercely criticized by both politicians and the public.

The Office of the High Representative was established in the Dayton Peace Agreement that ended the 1992-1995 war in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It oversees the implementation of the peace agreement on behalf of the international community

That person has the authority to dismiss anyone who interferes with the implementation of peace in the country, including members of the Presidential Council, and to pass laws as necessary.

The powers are dubbed "Bonn powers."