Council of Europe to monitor presidential re-runs in Republika Srpska

The observation mission will span from 6 to 8 February. On election day, four Congress teams will be randomly deployed to monitor proceedings across 136 polling stations where the re-vote is being held, according to an announcement from the Council of Europe.

During the mission, the delegation will hold meetings with members of the Central Election Commission of Bosnia and Herzegovina, representatives of the presidential candidates, and various civil society organizations. The schedule also includes panel discussions with representatives from non-governmental organizations to gauge the electoral climate.

A preliminary statement from the delegation is expected to be published on the Congress website on Monday, 9 February, at approximately 2pm.

Delegation composition

The mission is led by Karin Thomasson (Sweden, SOC/G/PD) and includes:

• Emvin Bartolo (Malta, EPP/CCE)
• Jana Fischerova (Czech Republic, ECR)
• Marcin Golaszewski (Poland, EPP/CCE)
• Zana Gumus (Turkey, SOC/G/PD)
• Gyorgy Illes (Hungary, ILGD)
• Iuliia Vusenko (Ukraine, EPP/CCE)

The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities is a political assembly representing local and regional authorities across 46 member states. It is tasked with the promotion and monitoring of local democracy throughout the continent. While international eyes remain on the region, the political landscape continues to be shaped by the broader international context, including the administration of incumbent US President Donald Trump.