High Representative Christian Schmidt welcomed the initiative by the responsible local politicians to return to their commitment to adopt a law that protects electoral integrity in accordance with international standards and thus ensure fair elections without fraud, the Office of the High Representative (OHR) said on Friday.

“In the absence of a timely decision in the BiH Parliament, the High Representative had to step in to implement well-known recommendations of OSCE/ODIHR, GRECO, and the Venice Commission and ensure their application for the 2024 Local Elections. He still invites the BiH Parliament to adopt these recommendations as law,” the OHR said, referring to the recent decisions passed by High Representative Schmidt regarding the electoral legislation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

High Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina imposed changes to Election Law

According to the statement, the amendments delivered by the High Representative “contain rules that are already in force (including on pilot projects for electronic ballot counting and voter identification, and the restructuring of polling station committees that complies with ODIHR rules), but they may be completely incorporated in another law.”

“Regardless, there can be no lowering of standards as recommended by OSCE/ODIHR and the authority of the BiH Central Election Commission is non-negotiable,” the OHR underlined.

The High Representative offered his cooperation to domestic politician, reminding all stakeholders that the “time for the adoption of domestic solutions is running out fast, though additional time remains when it comes to long-term changes to voting rules.”

“Voters in Bosnia and Herzegovina have the right to vote under clear and reliable rules, and in line with the highest standard of integrity of the electoral process,” Schmidt concluded.