TI BiH Warns of Mass Pre-Election Cash Distribution and Indirect Vote Buying

Sarajevo, September 3, 2026 – Transparency International in BiH warns that one month before the General Elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina, there is a concerning trend of increasing cases of indirect vote buying through legally prohibited one-time cash payments to various categories of the population. TI BiH data shows that approximately 68 million KM has been distributed since the elections were called, with the largest portion (31 million) allocated by the RS Government for one-time assistance to pensioners before the elections in amounts of 80 and 120 KM.

After the CEC refused to sanction RS Prime Minister Sava Minić in this case, explaining that the decision was made by the RS Government as a collective decision-making body, a new distribution of 16 million KM to students and pupils in amounts of 100 and 150 KM followed. This measure was announced at an SNSD press conference, even though it involves taxpayer money being distributed before elections, was not planned in the budget, and was not paid out in previous years. The Election Law prohibits indirect vote buying with public funds, which includes providing one-time assistance to citizens, except for assistance planned within regular budget subsidies.

However, due to the lack of sanctions, this trend continues—pensioners in Tuzla Canton and Brčko District will also receive one-time assistance before the elections, while the mayor of Zenica awarded one-time assistance to heating plant workers, and there are numerous other examples that TI BiH has published on the pre-election public spending counter.

TI BiH has so far documented over 2,200 potential misuses of public resources, of which approximately 63 percent relate to the intensification of public works during the pre-election period, most often used for political promotion. Throughout BiH, 370 infrastructure projects have been opened with a value of approximately 156 million KM, while the value of projects initiated during this period is 510 million. Although at the very beginning individual cases went unsanctioned, as TI BiH warned, in several recent decisions the CEC has begun sanctioning examples where infrastructure projects are promoted on the social media of political parties.

Thus, a sanction was issued against the director of Banja Mlječanica and NPS president Darko Banjac, who attributed credit to his party for the construction of a local water supply system. Since campaigning is prohibited by law at the opening events of these infrastructure projects, TI BiH conducted field monitoring and has so far attended 49 such public events. Candidates in the elections were present at 75%, while political messages were recorded at 41% of events, for which the CEC issued sanctions based on evidence collected by TI BiH. In the CEC’s most recent decisions, Zenica mayor Fuad Kasumović and his party were each fined 4,000 KM for campaigning at the opening of a new family medicine clinic, while SNSD was fined 12,000 due to Milorad Dodik’s political speech at the opening of a local road in Srpac. A fine was also issued to Vlado Đajić and his party for campaigning at a series of public events called “Krajina Evening,” which have traditionally served as cover for holding his pre-election rallies during a period when this is not permitted.

In a similar case, PSS was fined for political promotion at a pensioners’ gathering, but in an almost identical case the CEC previously refused to fine SNSD because the political messages of this party’s leaders were deemed jokes and observations. PSS was also fined for misuse of public resources, namely involving Banja Luka city civil servants in campaigning during working hours.

So far, over 90 cases of premature campaigning have been documented, most often on social media, and most concerning is that mass billboard campaigns promoting candidates without party symbols go unsanctioned. There have also been 16 cases of paid advertising by institutions promoting election candidates, with the most radical example being the RS President’s campaign called “Srpska Loves You,” where a large portion of billboard advertising space was purchased and the current government is credited for existing budget allocations and acquired rights of various population categories.

There have also been 84 documented cases of one-time non-cash distributions to various categories of the population, most often through free medical examinations and other benefits, which are usually accompanied by some form of political promotion. The CEC fined DNS 3,000 KM for distributing free makeup vouchers. There have also been 44 cases of increased pre-election hiring, for which there is unfortunately no legal restriction in BiH.

TI BiH particularly warns of a systematic campaign of spreading false information about the electoral process, where despite monetary sanctions, political leaders continue to misinform voters about the introduction of new electoral technologies.

In the last two months, TI BiH has forwarded 55 complaints to the CEC, and so far over 102,000 KM in sanctions have been issued to political entities and officials based on TI BiH complaints. Most relate to premature campaigning and partially to resource misuse, and as the elections approach, it is noticeable that the CEC is tightening sanctions. However, most concerning is the lack of sanctions for the most radical examples of public resource misuse and indirect vote buying, which is why fair electoral conditions for all participants still cannot be discussed.

TI BiH continues to monitor misuse of public resources and other forms of Election Law violations, aided by citizen reports received through the Reflektor application, which is designed for simple and anonymous reporting of electoral irregularities.

Press rls_06_08_2026

Presentation Second MONITORING OF PRE-ELECTION ACTIVITIES ELECTIONS 2026 (Presentation (43))

Public Spending and Public Works Counter