OSCE welcomes free and fair elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina

VIENNA, 25 September 1998 - The following statement was issued today by the OSCE Chairman-in-Office Mr. Bronislaw Geremek:

The final unofficial results of the 1998 General Elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina as issued by the OSCE Mission in Sarajevo today show that the voters have chosen to opt for a more pluralistic political spectrum than was the case before and that the ruling nationalist parties have continued to lose ground. Citizens are using the vote to hold their leaders accountable, and better organized political parties get better results. However, the OSCE and the international community in general need to keep up their efforts at developing democratic institutions and implementing all aspects of the Dayton Agreement. Full co-operation to that effect is expected from the newly elected officials.

I would like to congratulate the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina for their participation in these elections. They took the process seriously, as shown by the high turnout at the polls and the general respect for the Rules and Regulations established by the OSCE and the Provisional Election Commission. More than in previous elections, citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina were managing the electoral process - the local elections committees, the police forces and the media. All these involved showed more responsibility and professionalism than ever before.

These elections were free and fair and I want to express my appreciation to the dedicated staff of the OSCE Mission who had the responsibility of organizing and supervising the elections. The OSCE will continue to play an important role in next year's municipal elections, although hopefully the 1999 elections will be carried out according to a permanent election law passed by the Parliament of Bosnia and Herzegovina.