Borenovic files complaint against 'Pod lupom' Coalition after it reports him for early campaigning

Borenovic said that he considered the complaint against him unfounded and an abuse of the mechanism for reporting possible electoral irregularities.

He explained that he had been reported over statements he made at a press conference on August 5, when he spoke about the implementation of conclusions previously adopted by the House of Representatives, including issues concerning the functioning of border crossings and the verification of academic diplomas.

"I was shocked when I received notification from the Central Election Commission that the 'Pod Lupom' Coalition had reported me for premature campaigning, because at the press conference I spoke about what we had been doing in the House of Representatives and the fact that the authorities were failing to fulfill their obligations," Borenovic said.

He recalled that on June 30, the House of Representatives adopted his initiative concerning the situation at border crossings, along with a set of conclusions addressed to the competent institutions.

On the same day, he said, the House also adopted a report by the Anti-Corruption Committee on a public hearing concerning the accreditation of higher education institutions, which likewise contained a number of conclusions and obligations for the competent authorities.

Borenovic said it was entirely reasonable for him to publicly discuss, a month and a half after their adoption, whether those conclusions had been implemented.

"I did not mention the elections, October 4 or changes. I spoke as I do as a member of parliament – that the authorities are not doing their job and that the obligations established by the House of Representatives have not been fulfilled," he said.

According to Borenovic, such reporting raises the question of whether elected representatives can publicly discuss the work of institutions and insist on the implementation of legislative decisions without risking election-related complaints.

Borenovic accused the 'Pod Lupom' Coalition of applying a selective approach and called for an analysis of who has been reported for premature campaigning and according to which criteria.

He also criticized the focus of non-governmental organizations on politicians’ social media posts, saying greater attention should be paid to more serious forms of potential electoral abuse, including vote-buying, abuses at polling stations and identity theft.

He said he had submitted a response to the CEC regarding the complaint against him, as well as his own complaint against the 'Pod Lupom' Coalition over what he described as an unfounded complaint and abuse of the reporting mechanism.

He called on the Central Election Commission of Bosnia and Herzegovina to dismiss the complaint filed by the 'Pod Lupom' Coalition or investigate all circumstances surrounding it.