Head of Bosnia's government Borjana Kristo wrote a letter to senior European Union officials on Wednesday, saying that Bosnia and Herzegovina as a future member state needs an election law that will not be a product of “imposing or outvoting.” Her note comes a day after the international peace envoy in the country used his executive powers and imposed technical changes to the electoral legislation to, as he said, ensure free and fair elections for all citizens.

In the note she sent to the European Commission President, European Council President, European Parliament Speaker, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, and EU Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement, Kristo recalled of the recent green light for Bosnia and Herzegovina to open the accession talks with the EU. She said that “it is clear to everyone in Bosnia and Herzegovina that a comprehensive electoral reform is of a special importance for Bosnia and Herzegovina. As a future member state, she added, the country needs a law that will not be a product of “imposing or outvoting.”

According to her, the work on harmonising the changes to the Election Law is underway.

“Competent Ministry of Justice sent to the procedure a draft law on March 21, 2024. The document is undergoing a public discussion at the moment, where everyone in BiH can submit their comments and amendments,” she said.

The proposal in question was harshly criticised by the US Embassy in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which said that this proposal “would introduce a de facto Croat electoral district within the Federation of BiH,” and reminding that this proposal was “discussed and rejected during the 2021-2022 US-EU facilitated constitutional and electoral reform talks.” The Embassy labelled the proposal as HDZ BiH's, the Croat political party whose senior members include both Kristo and Justice Minister Davor Bunoza.

High Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina imposed changes to Election Law

Schmidt’s decision amending electoral legislation welcomed in one part of Bosnia, objected in other

Speaking of the High Representative's decision to impose technical changes to the Election Law, Kristo said that “imposing an extensive international supervision of 114 amendments is incompatible with the European future of BiH,” echoing the stance of Brussels on the matter.

Furthermore, Kristo said that the High Representative's move is “most fatal for the independent and sovereign Bosnia and Herzegovina, given the fact that this is the Law on which the democratic system rests and which is, after the Constitution of BiH, the most important legal act.”

“I firmly believe that imposing the decision on changes and amendments to the Election Law of BiH poses an unexpected challenge for me, as the Chairwoman of the Council of Ministers of BiH, that we will have to respond to, together with you, in a way that does not jeopardise our EU path or the work of the institutions of BiH, because it is exactly the institutions of BiH that must take over the responsibility for making all the decisions,” Kristo said.

She also emphasised it is necessary to resume the cooperation and joint work, and to strengthen the trust and respect among the citizens of BiH, providing support to the solutions that are the result of the work of the institutions.

Kristo concluded that this is the only possible way to make a step forward for all in BiH and for its European path.