Bosnia: Nationalists Triumphant

Nationalists won elections in Bosnia for the first time since the end of the 1992-1995 war. These were also the first elections organized and carried out by the Bosnian authorities independently. No final results have been announced yet, but we can forcast the results. Observers mention the high degree of apathy among the voters. The BBC informs that only 55% of Bosnia and Herzegovina voters went to the Polls. It seems that local politicians have practically exhausted the trust of the population.

BBC also notes that the low appearance of the voters came in handy for nationalists, whose supporters are very active. When two-thirds of the votes were counted in the Muslim Croatian Federation, it was clear that Muslim mono-ethnic Democratic Action Party with 33% votes was leading at the parliamentary elections. Then comes the Croatian Democratic Union (19%), and the Social Democratic Party, which has been at the head of the poly-ethnic ruling coalition for the past two years, is the third with 15% of the votes.

The situation is as follows in the Serbian republic: 70% of the bulletins have been handled, and it turned out that the Serb Democratic Party won 37%, then comes the Party of Independent Social Democrats with 29%. According to AP, Nationalists are certain to be leaders in the election to the presidential triumvirate as well. Chairman of the Croatian Democratic Union Dragan Kovic received 65% of the votes in Croatia. Muslim Sulejman Tihic received the majority of the votes, 28%, in the Muslim part of Bosnia. Mirko Sarovic is leading with a 13% margin in Serbia.

Meanwhile, OSCE chairman, Portugal Foreign Minister Antonio Martins da Cruz, made a rather optimistic statement. In his words, the Saturday elections to the Bosnia and Herzegovina parliament and presidium were held “in accordance with international standards,” RIA Novosti informs. The Portugal minister said: “The first elections organized by the Bosnia and Herzegovina authorities became a determinative moment for the future of the country and for making equal opportunities to the population and authorities of the state. They demonstrated their readiness to shoulder responsibility for Bosnia and Herzegovina development in a democratic way.”

Sergey Yugov PRAVDA.Ru

Translated by Maria Gousseva

Read the original in Russian: http://www.pravda.ru/main/2002/10/07/48081.html

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