BH Elections 1998


30 days later. Now it is possible to write about this topic with more certainty. Official results have been published seven days earlier, after two weeks of speculations about the winner/winners. The reason for prolonging publishing of results is the fact that OSCE insisted on maximum correctness. Well, let's see what uncle OSCE says.
Let's go in order:
Majority of votes for the Presidency of our precious country got
Alja Izetbegovic, as Bosniak candidate, representing the Coalition for United and Democratic B&H with total 511 309 votes, Zivko Radisic as Serb candidate representing coalition SLOGA (Unity) with 360 286 votes, and Ante Jelavic as Croat candidate (HDZ) with 189 408 votes. The three of them will in the next 4 years change places for the President. Basicly, this country will have a new President every 8 months.The honour to serve country first, got Radisic.
Interesting fact is that the second on the list of Bosniak candidates for the Presidency, was, on this teritory with notorious reputation, Friket Abdic.

Concerning the Federal Parliament, majority of votes got, of course, the Coalition for United, democratic and who-knows what else B&H, and than, almost cut off before the elections, HDZ, than SDP, the strongest opposition party.
As far as our "neighbor" Republika Srpska is concerned,
Nikola Poplasen, representative of Serb Radical/ Serb Democratic party, got the majority of votes (324 033), and behind him are Biljana Plavsic (286 914), and Zulfo Nisic, BOSS candidate - Bosnian party with 107 037 votes. SRS & SDS won the race for the President of RS, although the members of SLOGA coalition still have the majority in Parliament.
Interesting is the reaction of International Community on electing Poplasen, who was, by the way, nominated for
chetnik's Duke by Vojislav Seselj (one of the biggest radicals in the region) during the war (I think that says enough about moral qualifications of this man). Or, forgetting this fact or not wishing to comment it, basic reactions are slightly ignoring this small detail from Poplasen's life + pointing out the fact that he won't do much longer if his policy is not made according to Dayton agreement creators. To put it in other way, Carlos Westendorp will stay president of everything here that needs president, Bosnian boss who will sanction any wrong move of elected candidates. He will also make decisions instead of them when needed (remember passports, new BH currency, licence plates...do you think representatives of three bosnian tribes agreed about that?)
If someone expected changes in election results, they were wrong. It was a pleasant surprise for ones and unpleasant for others, but authority is still in the hands of those who had it before the elections, with minimum exceptions.
As a part of election fancy-dress ball, lines of election candidates marched through Sarajevo the day before the elections. IT's good to know there were no problems. Many people were witness' of not-really sympathy which was seen in the eyes of opponent parties. Two local magazines printed new issues on the same day. Also, colporters didn`t threat those others on more different way.
For a complete masqarade some people made a big & probably expencive fire works. And about the price of it... is that realy importain, near enormus sumes of money spend on this year`s elections.
Much more than few millions of $$$ Imternational Community invest for this year`s process of democratisation. Missed iinvestment? Hard to say. Bosnians, hardheaded as usual, again voted for the same nationalistic parties. Maybe there is a kind of small progress - SDP (social democrats) get get much more votes than last year. NewCroatInitiative (party of ex HDZ members) got the total nockdown in the first round.
Was there any doubt about it?
And, on the end, everything seems normal again. People went to work, kids to school, foregin journalists start to search for a new elections or new war teritories, or whatever... life goes on.