Transparency International in Bosnia and Herzegovina (TI BiH) recorded numerous violations of Bosnia’s election law and submitted 69 reports, which mostly refer to the use of public funds for the promotion of election candidates and campaigning outside of the campaign period, to the Central Election Commission (CEC).

The local election in Bosnia and Herzegovina is to take place on November 15.

“TI BIH observers recorded numerous cases of violations of the Election Law, and because of this, 69 reports were submitted to the Central Election Commission, mostly related to the ban on advertising outside the election campaign period, but also other cases of misuse of public resources for promotion in the election. The CEC has already punished 6 political entities based on the reports of TI BIH, while the outcome of other proceedings is still pending,” the organisation said.

“There were also 16 examples of paid advertising by public companies and institutions that promote candidates in local elections recorded,” TI BiH said, adding that cases in Bijeljina, Visoko, Banja Luka and Banovici stand out, as the direct promotion of current town mayors and municipal mayors who are running again was conducted through public campaigns paid with money from the budget there.

The organisation also found that there were also 78 large gatherings for the purpose of promoting candidates outside of the time of the election campaign. In the town of Doboj, the head of the local branch of the Alliance of Independent Social Democrats (SNSD) handed money to pensioners, students and young married couples, which TI BiH said it reported to the CEC.

TI observers also found that there were 572 public events of which 127 were opening events for infrastructure objects and that election candidates spoke at 65 percent of them.

“In Banja Luka, at the opening of the 950-meter road, an example was recorded where party activists carried posters with messages thanking SPS candidates and the current mayor, and a member of Bosnia’s Presidency spoke on a public podium about physical confrontations with opposition supporters,” TI BiH said.

In 102 cases, the presence of certain officials was not within their competency, and pre-election promises were made at 152 events.

TI said that 74 of its observers recorded another 1,431 examples of public resources being used for promoting political parties and candidates.

They recorded 547 cases of intensifying public works ahead of the election and 150 examples where subsidies – mostly one-time payments timed to be made ahead of the election – were paid to potential voters.

“The mayor of Ugljevik once distributed 100 Bosnian Marks to the children of veterans, and the mayor of Zenica paid 100,000 Bosnian Marks to the Association of Pensioners, claiming that it had nothing to do with the elections,” the organisation said.

In the past two months, observers recorded 62 cases of allowing free medical checkups, medicine, travel and discounts on public services to potential voters, is said.