General Elections, 12 October 2014

Press Conference

Following an official invitation, and based on the findings and conclusions of an OSCE/ODIHR Needs Assessment Mission undertaken from 24 to 27 June, the OSCE/ODIHR has deployed an Election Observation Mission (EOM) to observe the 12 October general elections.

The OSCE/ODIHR EOM and the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina operate separately under their specific mandates.

Long-term observation

The OSCE/ODIHR EOM, headed by Cornelia Jonker, consists of 11 international experts based in Sarajevo. In addition, 20 long-term observers will be deployed throughout the country from 10 September.

The OSCE/ODIHR EOM will assess these elections for its compliance with OSCE commitments and other international standards for democratic elections, as well as with domestic legislation. Observers will closely monitor candidate registration, campaign activities, the work of the election administration and relevant governmental bodies, election-related legislation and its implementation, the media environment, and the resolution of election-related disputes.

Short-term observers

The OSCE/ODIHR requests participating States to second three hundred (300) short-term observers (STOs) to observe voting, counting and the tabulation of results. Please consult information sheet request for short-term observers for more information and register on the Short-Term Observers Database: http://stodb.odihr.pl

Election Day

The OSCE/ODIHR will request 300 short-term observers to be deployed immediately prior to the 12 October elections. The short-term observers will be deployed throughout the country in multinational teams of two to monitor the opening of polling stations, the voting, the counting of ballots, and the tabulation of results.

The day after the elections, ODIHR will issue a statement of preliminary findings and conclusions at a press conference. A final report on the observation of the entire electoral process will be issued approximately eight weeks after the end of the electoral process.
Co-operation with Other Partners

The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe are planning to deploy observer delegations for these elections.

Previous elections

The OSCE/ODIHR has observed nine elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina, most recently the 2010 general elections.