50,000 foreigners can vote in BiH elections

Over 50,000 voters from abroad will have the right to cast their ballots in Bosnia and Herzegovina’s general elections scheduled for October 4th. The Central Election Commission of Bosnia and Herzegovina (SIP) completed a census of citizens living overseas who are eligible to vote, identifying approximately 48,074 individuals who submitted the necessary documents for registration. These voters will participate in the election via postal voting, marking a notable shift in the participation rate compared to previous years. The number of registered foreign voters has declined significantly since the last elections held in 2022, when nearly 70,000 citizens abroad were able to exercise their right to vote. This represents a reduction of roughly one-third of the electorate, with many voters having opted out of the process. The decline is particularly pronounced among diaspora communities originating from areas that were once part of the Republic of Serbian Krajina, where ethnic cleansing campaigns during the 1992 war led to the displacement of large numbers of Croats and Bosniaks. In the town of Banja Luka, for example, the number of registered voters from abroad dropped sharply, from 2,273 in 2022 to just 875 this year. A similar trend is observed in Prijedor, a municipality historically associated with mass expulsions of non-Serbs during the conflict. In Prijedor, voter turnout among the diaspora fell from 3,783 in 2022 to around 1,500 this year. In both regions, the percentage of registered voters from abroad has decreased by over 60 percent, reflecting a growing disinterest in the political process. Analysts suggest that the drop in voter participation is largely attributed to widespread disillusionment following the results of the 2022 elections. Many diaspora voters felt let down by the outcomes, which they perceived as being influenced by political manipulation and corruption. According to Admir Čavka, a representative of the Bosniak-oriented party Savez za bolju budućnost (SBB), the frustration stems from the support given by some Bosniak parties to the new government formed by the Serb nationalist party SNSD, led by Milorad Dodik. This decision, he argues, allowed Dodik to continue policies that had previously failed to address the needs of displaced populations. Čavka warned that the reduced number of voters from abroad could lead to fewer representatives of non-Serb nationalities in the parliament of the Republika Srpska. He emphasized that the current situation reflects a broader loss of trust in the political system, with many diaspora voters feeling exploited and misled after the 2022 elections. “Today we pay the price of deception,” he stated, adding that he fears the consequences of this distrust will become more apparent after the upcoming elections. The SIP confirmed that only slightly more than five thousand applications for voter registration were rejected, with applicants given the opportunity to appeal through the Judicial Board of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Those whose appeals were denied received a final decision within the legal framework. Despite these rejections, the overall number of registered voters remains substantial, indicating that the majority of eligible citizens still wish to take part in the democratic process. However, the continued decline in participation raises concerns about the long-term engagement of the diaspora in the political life of Bosnia and Herzegovina.