Bosnia election puts nationalists in two presidency seats amid record-low turnout

Bosnia and Herzegovina’s voters elected a new tripartite presidency on Sunday in a general election marked by record-low turnout, persistent ethnic divisions and early technical problems with new voting equipment.

With counting nearly complete, Serb nationalist Zeljka Cvijanovic, moderate Social Democrat Denis Becirovic and Croat nationalist Darijana Filipovic had won the Serb, Bosniak and Croat seats respectively, Deutsche Welle reported. Officials said turnout was 41.5% among roughly 3.4 million registered voters.

Voters also selected state and entity-level lawmakers, the president and vice presidents of Republika Srpska, and representatives to cantonal assemblies. The election covered 518 mandates contested by 7,028 certified candidates, according to Bosnia’s Central Election Commission figures cited by N1.

The vote was the first nationwide election to use biometric voter identification and ballot scanners. Equipment problems delayed voting at dozens of polling stations, including locations in Mostar and Tuzla Canton. Election officials said affected stations would remain open long enough to compensate for lost time.

Former Republika Srpska president Milorad Dodik remained prominent despite being barred from public office for six years after his conviction for defying the international envoy overseeing the 1995 peace settlement. Dodik backed Cvijanovic and said his SNSD party had retained the Serb presidency seat and its position of power in Republika Srpska.

The country’s governing structure, divided among a central government, two largely autonomous entities and the Brcko district, was established under the Dayton peace agreement that ended the 1992-95 war.