Abstract
This paper provides a critical analyzes of 2012 local elections in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Since 1995 the local elections and its political and electoral system have been based on the Dayton Peace Agreement (DPA). According to DPA Bosnia-Herzegovina has the multiparty system and regular and free elections. These local elections were held amidst continuously renewed political turmoil at the cantonal, entity and state levels. 2012 local elections results have shown that the HDZ and SDA continued to dominate politics at the local level in the Federation of BiH while in the RS, position of SNSD has been strongly shaken by very good performance of SDS. The SDA won majority of votes in Bosniak majority areas while SDS and HDZ secured their votes in the Serb and Croat majority areas respectively. In the Federation of BiH, SDP and SBB suffered dramatic fall in votes comparing to the last general elections while in the RS, SNSD, which has dominated politics since 2006 lost significant number of votes, mayoral posts and municipality seats to SDS and some other political parties such as PDP, SP and DNS.
Highlights
Free, fair, regular and competitive elections have always been an integral part of any democracy and essential tool for the peaceful transfer of power and governance
As in the previous elections, Bosnian political scenario was characterized by a multiparty system with many political parties, coalitions and independent candidates who were competing for the mayoral posts and municipality councils in all municipalities except in the city of Mostar
Local elections were held in the context of a deep political crisis that has characterized Bosnia-Herzegovina post2010 general election‟s political milieu
Summary
Fair, regular and competitive elections have always been an integral part of any democracy and essential tool for the peaceful transfer of power and governance. As in the previous elections, Bosnian political scenario was characterized by a multiparty system with many political parties, coalitions and independent candidates who were competing for the mayoral posts and municipality councils in all municipalities except in the city of Mostar. Bakir Izetbegovic, Bosniak member of the Collective Presidency and high ranking official in the Party of Democratic Action (SDA) replied to Dodik that he cannot call for a referendum and secession of RS from Bosnia-Herzegovina in Srebrenica, Zepa, Prijedor, Visegrad, Foca, Manjaca and other places from where Bosniak were cleansed and expelled. He declared this and similar statements of Dodik as mere political provocations. Independent candidates, political parties or coalitions of various political parties won the remaining 25 mayoral posts. (See Table 1)
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