Closing the list of candidates would be an attack on citizens’ rights

Transparency International Bosnia and Herzegovina (TI BiH) appeals to the relevant institutions, international organizations and the public in Bosnia and Herzegovina to prevent the adoption of proposed changes to the Election Law which would close the list of candidates in the elections, whereas the citizens would not be able to vote for individuals on the list but only for the party, and the mandate won in the elections would no longer belong to individuals, but to a party.

As TI BiH had already warned, this way the absolute power of party leaders would be strengthened, and they would have a complete freedom to decide who will get the mandate won in the elections. The adoption of such solutions would narrow the citizens’ freedom of choice in voting, because they would be disabled to vote whom they want for, and the voters would be deprived of the opportunity to at least partially influence the composition of party lists and allocation of mandates.
Such a move would drastically degrade the democratic voting system and all democratic principles would be brought into question. Parties would in this way have a greater influence on the members of the parliament, and considering that the basic principle of elections is the citizens’ freedom of choice, the very purpose of the election would be brought into question.

The fact that the Central Election Commission BiH has not reacted to this initiative and tried to prevent the collapse of the electoral system in BiH is devastating. Instead, the CEC submitted its own proposals for amendments to the Election Law that would extend the mandate of the CEC members and assign to the members of the city and municipal election commissions monthly income through the whole year. This is an obvious indication that the CEC continues the current practice, in which it primarily deals with its own interests, protecting the interests of the ruling structures, and neglecting its duty to protect the rights of citizens.

TI BiH again warns the domestic and international public that the adoption of such legislative solutions would be in direct conflict with basic democratic principles and aimed directly against the interests of citizens and their rights, and appeals that yet another attempt of the ruling parties to provide themselves absolute power in this election year, to the detriment of citizens, should be prevented.