Polling Concludes in Bosnia-Herzegovina's Election with Low Turnout

Bosnia-Herzegovina's three-member presidency is expected to be dominated by nationalists from the three major ethnic groups, including Zeljka Cvijanovic, who is supported by disqualified Serb leader Milorad Dodik. Bosnian officials reported a record-low voter turnout of 41.5% from the country's 3.4 million voters in the general election held on Sunday. Nationalist parties prevailed in the elections as citizens selected officials across various government levels, including members of the multiethnic presidency. With counting nearly complete, Serb nationalist Zeljka Cvijanovic, Bosniak moderate leftist Denis Becirovic, and Croat nationalist Darijana Filipovic have been declared the winners of their respective presidential seats. Cvijanovic, backed by the former secessionist leader Milorad Dodik, who is barred from public office for six years due to a conviction related to the 1995 peace process, reportedly won with 55.6% of the vote. Becirovic secured the Bosniak seat with 38.1%, while Filipovic received 48.2%. Voters also selected lawmakers for the federal parliament and the heads of institutions for the Muslim-Croat Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBiH) and the Serb-run Republika Srpska (RS). Approximately 50% of Bosnia and Herzegovina's citizens are Muslim Bosniaks, 31% are Orthodox Serbs, and 15% are Catholic Croats. The election occurs amid ongoing challenges, including an economic downturn, slow progress toward EU membership, and political gridlock. The election featured contests between the Bosniak SDA, Serb SNSD, and Croat HDZ BiH against multi-ethnic opposition coalitions led by the Social Democratic Party. Polls closed at 7 p.m. local time (1700 GMT), with preliminary results expected later, although coalition negotiations may delay final outcomes. The governance structure in Bosnia-Herzegovina is divided among the multiethnic central government, the two semi-autonomous entities FBiH and RS, and the self-governing Brcko district. This framework was established during the US-brokered 1995 Dayton Peace Accords following the Bosnian war. Despite not being on the ballot, Milorad Dodik remained a significant figure in the election, with Dodik-backed Savo Minic winning the presidency of Republika Srpska and the RS party increasing its parliamentary tally to 39%, up from 34.6% in 2022. Dodik, who recently met with Russian President Vladimir Putin, expressed gratitude for political support and emphasized his desire for closer ties with Serbia and Russia. He has previously stated that he believes Bosnia and Herzegovina is no longer a viable country. In contrast, Bosniak parties are advocating for a stronger central state, with the SDA focusing on unity against Serb separatism. Incumbent Bosniak presidency member Denis Becirovic has pledged to pursue EU and NATO membership, which has been a candidate status since 2022, contingent on implementing necessary reforms.