2020 Bosnian municipal elections

Municipal elections were held in Bosnia and Herzegovina on 15 November 2020 to elect mayors and assemblies in 143 municipalities.^[1] Originally scheduled for 4 October, they were postponed due to a lack of funds.^[2][3][4]

2020 Bosnian municipal elections

← 2016 15 November 2020[a] 2024 →
All 143 municipal/city mayors All 143 municipal/city councils
Registered	3,283,194
Turnout	50.40% ( 3.48 pp)
First party Second party Third party   Leader Milorad Dodik Bakir Izetbegović Dragan Čović Party SNSD SDA HDZ BiH Mayors 44 27 22 Change 11 7 3 Percentage 30.77% 18.88% 15.38%   Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party   IND Leader Mirko Šarović Nermin Nikšić None Party SDS SDP BiH Independent Mayors 16 9 5 Change 1 9 Percentage 11.19% 6.29% 3.49%

Occurring under the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, they came less than a year following the delayed formation of the state government.^[5] National coalition partners and the hegemonic Bosniak, Serb and Croat political parties, the Party of Democratic Action (SDA), Alliance of Independent Social Democrats (SNSD) and Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ), respectively, each defended the most number of positions.

A total of 3,283,194 citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina were registered to vote^[6][7] – almost on par with the total population of the country, 3,531,159 at the 2013 census^[8] – pointing to issues of outdated data in the voters' registry.

Out of 425 mayoral candidates, 29 were women.^[9] Only 4 women were elected mayors, down from 7.

Electoral system

Municipal elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina comprise the election of a mayor and municipal assembly across the 143 municipalities of Republika Srpska and the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. They are governed by the Law on Elections.^[10]

Mayors are elected by a first-past-the-post system, with the candidate receiving the plurality of votes winning. For this reason, multi-party coalitions are more common at the mayoral level, with a united political or ethnic slate presented in situations where several candidates may divide the electorate. Assembly elections use open list proportional representation, with the number of assembly members varying by population.^[11]

Sarajevo and Istočno Sarajevo are further subdivided into four and six municipalities which also elect assemblies. The mayor of Sarajevo is elected indirectly,^[12][13] while the mayor of Istočno Sarajevo has been elected directly since these elections.^[14][15] The Brčko District is an independent self-administrative unit, electing an assembly which in turn selects a mayor.^[16]

Mostar holds elections using the mixed-member proportional representation system where 22 seats are elected in six different city areas and 13 on the city list.^[17] The mayor is elected by the city assembly.^[17] These were the first elections in Mostar after the political agreement in 2020 and the first to be held in the same time as the rest of the country since the 2008 elections.^[18][19]

Electoral campaign

One of HDZ BiH's campaign posters featuring Mostar city council candidate Mario Kordić. The slogan Investments, economy, jobs is positioned above the party's logo

Electoral issues dominated the Bosnian public sphere across September and October, although the electoral campaign officially started only on 16 October. Political parties held large rallies, despite growing COVID-19 cases (over 50,000 cases and 1,234 deaths by 31 October) and in violation of health and safety regulations.^[20]

According to Transparency International in Bosnia and Herzegovina (TI BIH), political parties spent almost one million BAM on video production and advertising in TV and print media in the first two weeks of campaign. Almost the entire amount was spent by the main six parties, with the largest share by Banja Luka-based SNSD (351,357) and PDP (325,852 km).^[21] Transparency International also recorded multiple examples of abuse of administrative resources by parties in power for electoral purposes.^[22]

In Velika Kladuša, outgoing mayor and convicted war criminal Fikret Abdić, under arrest since June for abuse of office,^[23] was released to allow him to carry out electoral campaign.^[24]

The international High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina, Valentin Inzko, noted that the election campaign was "characterized by divisive, negative rhetoric that deepens existing divisions and makes reconciliation in Bosnia and Herzegovina increasingly difficult."^[25]

The Central Electoral Commission (CIK) fined several parties for illicit activities before the formal start of the electoral campaign. On 7 October, the CIK banned from elections the United Srpska and fined it BAM 10,000 for diffusion of a video on social media deemed as spreading ethnic hatred.^[26][27] On 15 October, the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina annulled such decision, as it deemed that the legal provisions referred to by the CIK (Election Law) did not apply to the period ahead the formal start of the electoral campaign. The video continued to be shared by the party on social media in the following weeks.^[28][29][30]

The number of voters registers from abroad soared to 101,771, alarming judicial institutions to the risk of fraud.^[31] The CIK received over 3,500 reports of suspected fraud,^[32] particularly in relation to Srebrenica and Brčko. To facilitate the identification of such cases, on 8 October the CIK published on its website the liste of registered mail-in voters, including names and addresses, allowing all citizens to identify and report suspected irregularities. On 14 October the BiH Agency for the Protection of Personal Data requested the removal of the list of registered mail-in voters from the CIK website, citing privacy concerns.^[33]

The CIK rejected over 27,000 received applications for voting from abroad^[32] and reported suspect cases of fraud to the State-level BiH Prosecutor's Office, which however on 12 October indicated that it rejected jurisdiction on them and advised the CIK to address local judicial institutions.^[34]

The local elections were observed remotely by the Council of Europe.^[35]

Results

Composition of the Sarajevo City Council following the elections

Turnout reached 50.40%. Governing parties in each communities (Bosniak SDA and Bosnian Serb SNSD) had a lacklustre showing, and opposition candidates won in Sarajevo as well as, unexpectedly, in Banja Luka and Bijeljina. Party leaders (Bakir Izetbegović and Milorad Dodik respectively) acknowledged the loss.

In the Bosnian capital Sarajevo, in its municipality of Centar, the candidate of the opposition coalition Srđan Mandić (Our Party) obtained almost two thirds of the votes. Opposition candidates won 4 municipalities out of 9. Experienced politician, Social Democrat Bogić Bogićević was poised to be elected the next mayor of the city of Sarajevo in the coming weeks by the City Council.^[36] In parallel, the alliance of the four opposition parties, colloquially called the Four, also initiated the reshuffle process of the government of the Sarajevo Canton, which they controlled with good results for the first time in 2019, but which returned in March 2020 to the hands of the SDA.^{[37][38][39][40]}

In Zenica the outgoing mayor, the independent Fuad Kasumović, kept the town hall; the SDA candidate, Deputy Minister of Justice Nezir Pivić got only second. Also in Tuzla, the Social Democrat Jasmin Imamović – the longest-serving mayor in Bosnia and Herzegovina, in power since 2001 – maintained control of the cantonal capital, resulting in the lead in all polling stations in town. In Velika Kladuša, war criminal Fikret Abdić, was re-elected, even if only with a very narrow margin on challenger Jasmin Hušić. In Mostar, voting took place on 20 December, for the first time since 2008.^[37]

In the Republika Srpska entity, 27-year-old opposition candidate Draško Stanivuković (PDP) won the majority of votes for the post of City mayor of Banja Luka over the outgoing Igor Radojičić (SNSD), a loyalist of Dodik. Stanivuković created a public profile lambasting nepotism and corruption of the ruling party, as well as showing himself closer to the demands of the "Justice for David" movement. Dodik's party had ruled the Bosnian Serb capital since 1998.^[37]

The SNSD, with Dalibor Pavlović, instead gained the municipality of Prijedor, a fiefdom of his allied DNS party; that of Doboj, where the previous mayor aligned himself with the SNSD in 2018; and that of Trebinje, where Dodik had promised the construction of an airport – financed by Serbia. In Srebrenica, waiting for the postal votes, the outgoing mayor, Serb Mladen Grujičić, a denier of the genocide, was ahead of just 600 votes; Bosniak parties, which counted on at least 1600 postal votes, declared victory for their candidate Alija Tabaković. Ultimately, Grujičić was re-elected. Finally, in Bijeljina the outgoing mayor Mićo Mićić, in power since 2004, had aligned himself with Dodik, being expelled from the SDS party; he unexpectedly lost his seat to opposition candidate Ljubiša Petrović (SDS/PDP). However, Dodik's coalition obtained a majority in the city council.^[37]

Mayoral

Denotes municipality within city
Denotes municipality changing hands

Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina Municipality Mayor before Mayor elected Banovići PDA SDA Bihać POMAK POMAK Bosanska Krupa SDP BiH SDP BiH Bosanski Petrovac DNS SDA Bosansko Grahovo Independent SNSD Breza SBB BiH SDA Bugojno SDA SDA Busovača SDA SDA Bužim SDA SDA Cazin A-SDA A-SDA Centar SDA NS Čapljina HDZ BiH HDZ BiH Čelić SDA SBiH Čitluk HDZ BiH HDZ BiH Doboj East SDA SDA Doboj South SDA SDA Dobretići HSS SR HSS SR Domaljevac-Šamac HDZ BiH HDZ BiH Donji Vakuf Independent Independent Drvar SNSD SNSD Foča-Ustikolina SDA Independent Fojnica SDA SDA Glamoč SNSD SNSD Goražde NBL SDP BiH Gornji Vakuf-Uskoplje SDA SDA Gračanica SDP BiH SDP BiH Gradačac SDP BiH SDP BiH Grude HDZ BiH HDZ BiH Hadžići SDA SDA Ilidža SDA NiP Ilijaš SDA SDA Jablanica SDA SDP BiH Jajce SDA SDA Kakanj SDA SDA Kalesija NBL NBL Kiseljak HDZ BiH HDZ BiH Kladanj PDA PDA Ključ SDP BiH SDP BiH Konjic SDA SDA Kreševo HDZ BiH HDZ BiH Kupres HDZ BiH HDZ BiH Livno HDZ BiH HDZ BiH Lukavac SD BiH SD BiH Ljubuški HDZ BiH HDZ BiH Maglaj SDP BiH SDP BiH Mostar HDZ BiH[b] HDZ BiH Neum HDZ BiH HDZ BiH Novi Grad Sarajevo SDA SDA Novi Travnik SDA HDZ BiH Novo Sarajevo SDA SDP BiH Odžak HDZ BiH HDZ BiH Olovo SDA SDA Orašje HDZ BiH HDZ BiH Pale-Prača SDA SDA Posušje HDZ BiH HDZ BiH Prozor-Rama HDZ 1990 HDZ 1990 Ravno HDZ BiH HDZ BiH Sanski Most SDA SDA Sapna PDA PDA Sarajevo SDA SDP BiH Srebrenik Independent NiP Stari Grad NBL NBL Stolac HDZ BiH HDZ BiH Široki Brijeg HDZ BiH HDZ BiH Teočak SDA SDA Tešanj SDA SDA Tomislavgrad HNP HNP Travnik SDA SDA[c] Trnovo SDA SDA Tuzla SDP BiH SDP BiH Usora HDZ BiH HDZ BiH Vareš HDZ BiH HDZ BiH Velika Kladuša LS BiH LS BiH Visoko Independent SDA Vitez HDZ BiH HDZ BiH Vogošća SDA SDA Zavidovići NBL NBL Zenica Independent Independent Žepče HDZ BiH HDZ BiH Živinice SDA SDA

Republika Srpska Municipality Mayor before Mayor elected Banja Luka SNSD PDP Berkovići SDS SDS Bijeljina SDS S SDS Bileća SNSD SDS Bratunac SNSD Independent Brod SNSD SDS Čajniče SDS SDS Čelinac SNSD SNSD Derventa SNSD SNSD Doboj SNSD SNSD Donji Žabar SRS 9J SNSD Foča SNSD SNSD Gacko SDS SNSD Gradiška SNSD SNSD Han Pijesak SNSD SDS Istočna Ilidža SDS SDS Istočni Drvar ZSD ZSD Istočni Mostar SDS SDS Istočni Stari Grad SDS SDS Istočno Novo Sarajevo SNSD SNSD Istočno Sarajevo PDP SNSD Jezero SNSD SNSD Kalinovik SDS SNSD Kneževo Independent SNSD Kostajnica SDS SNSD Kotor Varoš PDP PDP Kozarska Dubica SNSD SNSD Krupa na Uni DNS DNS Kupres SNSD SNSD Laktaši SNSD SNSD Ljubinje SP SDS Lopare SDS SDS Milići SNSD SNSD Modriča SNSD SDS Mrkonjić Grad SNSD SNSD Nevesinje SNSD SNSD Novi Grad SNSD SNSD Novo Goražde SNSD SNSD Osmaci SDS SNSD Oštra Luka DNS SNSD Pale SNSD SNSD Pelagićevo SP SNSD Petrovac DNS SNSD Petrovo SDS SNSD Prijedor DNS SNSD Prnjavor SNSD SNSD Ribnik SNSD SNSD Rogatica SNSD SNSD Rudo SRS RS SNSD Sokolac SDS SDS Srbac SNSD SNSD Srebrenica SNSD SNSD Stanari SNSD US Šamac NDP SDS Šekovići SNSD DEMOS Šipovo SNSD SNSD Teslić SDS SDS Trebinje SNSD SNSD Trnovo SNSD SNSD Ugljevik SDS SDS Višegrad SNSD SNSD Vlasenica SNSD SNSD Vukosavlje SNSD SNSD Zvornik SNSD SNSD

Assembly of Brčko District

There are 31 seats in the Assembly of the Brčko District. The seats were divided as follows:^[41]

Constituency[42]	Council					Mayor[43] elected by Council
	Party		Popular vote	%	Seats	Mayor		Votes	%
Brčko		Party of Democratic Action	6,133	16.46	5		Esed Kadrić, SDA	22	71%
		SNSD—DEMOS	4,651	12.49	4
		Socialist Party	4,396	11.80	4
		Croatian Democratic Union	2,973	7.98	3
		Union for a Better Future	2,574	6.91	2
		People and Justice	2,514	6.75	2
		United Srpska	2,307	6.19	2
		Party of Democratic Progress	1,873	5.03	2
		Party for Bosnia and Herzegovina	1,749	4.70	2
		SDP BiH—NS	1,643	4.41	1
		Serb Democratic Party	1,638	4.40	1
		Democratic People's Alliance	1,428	3.83	1
		Minority candidate Alija Denjagić	(535)	—	1
		Minority candidate Mejra Šečić	(305)	—	1
Total			37,252		31

Notes

1. Elections in Mostar were conducted on 20 December 2020.
2. Local elections have not been held in Mostar since 2008 due to disputes around electoral laws.
3. The elected Mayor, Mirsad Peco, died on election day, likely necessitating a by-election.

See also

• 2020 Mostar municipal elections
• 2020 Ilidža local elections

References

1. I.P. (23 May 2020). "CIK odlučio: Lokalni izbori se odgađaju za 15. novembar" (in Bosnian). Klix.ba. Retrieved 23 May 2020.
2. "Budget Delays Force Bosnia to Postpone Local Elections". 23 May 2020.
3. "Bosnia postpones local elections due to lack of funding". United States: ABC News.
4. "Bosnia local elections to be postponed due to lack of funding". 24 May 2020.
5. "Bosnia gets government after 14-month impasse | DW | 23.12.2019". Deutsche Welle.
6. "Over 3.2 Million Voters on Central Voter List for Local Elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina". 22 October 2020. Retrieved 14 March 2023.
7. "Central Election Commission of BiH revealed Number of Voters for Local Elections". 9 October 2020. Retrieved 14 March 2023.
8. "Almost the same Number of Inhabitants and Voters in Bosnia and Herzegovina". 11 October 2020. Retrieved 14 March 2023.
9. "Monopol nad demokratijom: Žene manjina na izbornim listama!". 6yka.com. Retrieved 14 March 2023.
10. "Izborni Zakon Bosne e i Hercegovine" (PDF). mizbori.ba (in Bosnian). Retrieved 13 March 2023.
11. "Izborni zakon Bosne i Hercegovine" (PDF). izbori.ba (in Bosnian). Central Election Commission of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
12. "Izbori za Gradsko vijeće Grada Sarajeva - bos". youtube.com. Central Election Commission of Bosnia and Herzegovina. 27 July 2024. Retrieved 12 August 2024.
13. "Statut Grada Sarajeva" (PDF). gradskovijece.sarajevo.ba. Sarajevo City Council. 9 October 2008. Retrieved 12 August 2024.
14. "Izbori za Skupštinu Grada Istočno Sarajevo - bos". youtube.com. Central Election Commission of Bosnia and Herzegovina. 27 July 2024. Retrieved 12 August 2024.
15. "Zakon o gradu Istočno Sarajevo". narodnaskupstinars.net (in Bosnian). National Assembly (Republika Srpska). 13 March 2020. Retrieved 12 August 2024.
16. "Statut Brčko distrikta" (PDF). skupstinabd.ba (in Bosnian). Brčko District Assembly. 14 January 2010. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
17. "Izbori u Gradu Mostaru - bos". youtube.com (in Bosnian). Central Election Commission of Bosnia and Herzegovina. 27 July 2024. Retrieved 10 August 2024.
18. "Čović i Izetbegović postigli sporazum o Mostaru". Al Jazeera Balkans (in Bosnian). Retrieved 19 March 2024.
19. "Predstavnički dom Parlamenta BiH izglasao izmjene Izbornog zakona za Mostar". www.aa.com.tr. Retrieved 19 March 2024.
20. ""Takmičenje" u masovnosti skupova između SDA i PDA u Banovićima". 28 October 2020. Retrieved 14 March 2023.
21. "How much have Political Parties spent for Election Campaign so far?". 4 November 2020. Retrieved 14 March 2023.
22. "Transparency International recorded over 1,400 Examples where public Resources were used to Electorally Promote Parties". 14 October 2020. Retrieved 14 March 2023.
23. "Federal Police arrested Mayor of Velika Kladusa Fikret Abdic". 18 June 2020. Retrieved 14 March 2023.
24. "Fikret Abdic released from Custody so that he can participate in the Election Campaign". 30 October 2020. Retrieved 14 March 2023.
25. "Inzko: Political Campaign again characterized by Divisive, Negative Rhetoric that deepens existing Divisions". 6 November 2020. Retrieved 14 March 2023.
26. Spaić, Igor (7 October 2020). "Central Election Commission disqualifies party from election over hate speech". N1. Retrieved 14 March 2023.
27. "Central Election Commission of BiH annulled the Certification for Participation in Elections of the United Srpska Party". 8 October 2020. Retrieved 14 March 2023.
28. "Central Electoral Commission prohibited from Publishing Excerpts from Central Voters' Register". 11 October 2020. Retrieved 14 March 2023.
29. "Court of BiH annuls Central Electoral Commission'S Decision in 'United Srpska' Case". 16 October 2020. Retrieved 14 March 2023.
30. "Balkan EU". Retrieved 14 March 2023.
31. "Enormous Increase in the Number of Voters as Alarm to Bosnia's Prosecutors Office". 24 October 2020. Retrieved 14 March 2023.
32. "3,500 Evidence of attempted Election Fraud in the Central Voters' List". 7 October 2020. Retrieved 14 March 2023.
33. ":: Central Election Commission Bosnia and Herzegovina". izbori.ba. Retrieved 14 March 2023.
34. Kovacevic, Danijel (16 October 2020). "As Bosnia Election Looms, Fears of Fraud in Votes Cast Abroad". Retrieved 14 March 2023.
35. Sarajevo Times
36. "Bogić Bogićević prihvatio kandidaturu za gradonačelnika Sarajeva". Radio Slobodna Evropa (in Serbo-Croatian). Retrieved 20 November 2020.
37. Zambelli, Andrea (17 November 2020). "BOSNIA: Elezioni locali, Sarajevo e Banja Luka passano alle opposizioni". Retrieved 14 March 2023.
38. Latal, Srecko (16 November 2020). "Opposition Takes Key Cities in Bosnia's Local Elections". Retrieved 14 March 2023.
39. "Nationalist parties lose key cities in Bosnia's municipal elections". euronews. 16 November 2020. Retrieved 14 March 2023.
40. "Opposition parties win major cities in Bosnia's local vote". Associated Press. 29 April 2021. Retrieved 14 March 2023.
41. "GRAFIČKI PRIKAZ SALE SKUPŠTINE BRČKO DISTRIKTA BIH" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 September 2007. Retrieved 14 March 2023.
42. The three-digit numbers in the municipality column are the codes used for the municipalities on the Central Electoral Commission site
43. "Major of Brčko". Archived from the original on 19 June 2018. Retrieved 14 March 2023.

External links

• Media related to Municipal elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2020 at Wikimedia Commons