The Coalition for Free and Fair Elections "Pod lupom" has warned relevant institutions that there are indications, and even concrete evidence, of political affiliations among some candidates for the positions of presidents and deputies of polling station committees, who are now legally required to be non-partisan.

The Coalition calls on the Central Election Commission of Bosnia and Herzegovina (CIK BiH) to remove those compromising the independence of these positions and apply the necessary sanctions, as well as to report any violations of legal provisions to the competent prosecutors for further processing.

The Election Law of BiH is clear: the presidents and deputies of polling station committees must be non-partisan and capable of performing their duties in a politically impartial manner. The growing evidence of political bias among nominated candidates, as reported by civil society organizations, citizens, and political entities, directly violates electoral rules. Many of these candidates still hold positions within political party organs or remain members, with some only formally resigning from their parties.

For years, “Pod lupom” has highlighted polling station committees as one of the weakest links in the electoral process in BiH. Despite efforts for partial depoliticization and legal regulation of this issue, political entities continue to strive for control over these committees. Moreover, there will likely be many forged resignation letters from political parties used by candidates to falsely demonstrate their non-affiliation, despite their clear bias.

All candidates applying for positions as presidents and deputies of polling station committees were required to submit a statement affirming their non-affiliation with political entities, signed under full material and criminal responsibility. When a candidate's political affiliation is proven, “Pod lupom” views this as an attempt to deceive the relevant institutions and circumvent legal provisions, which, under criminal law, carries a prison sentence of three months to five years.

“Pod lupom” urges CIK BiH to act proactively by immediately removing politically affiliated individuals from the candidate list for non-partisan presidents and deputies in polling station committees, imposing sanctions for illegal conduct and undermining the integrity of the electoral process, and informing the relevant prosecutors about such cases for further processing.

It is crucial to emphasize that elections are the foundation of a democratic society, and any attempt to manipulate or disregard the electoral process directly undermines citizens’ trust in institutions and democratic procedures. Continuous efforts are needed to ensure that elections in BiH are free, fair, transparent, and in accordance with the law.