SARAJEVO, May 15 (FENA) – There are 26 municipal councils in BiU BiH in which national minorities have the seats guaranteed. 41 municipality amended the statute to ensure the sufficient number of seats for representatives of minorities, OSCE Spokesperson Mersiha Causevic – Podzic told FENA.
Commenting the progress made through changes of BiH Electoral Law that concern national minorities, she stated that, according to the data of BiH Central Elections Commission, 44 municipalities in BIH have stated that they have no obligation of doing that and that additional 41 have not yet submitted an answer to the Commission on the issue.
OSCE states that out of 26 municipalities which ensured seats for representatives of national minorities, 23 municipalities have reserved one seat. The Donji Vakuf and Brcko municipalities’ statutes guarantee two seats to the national minorities and Maglaj municipality has not made any precisions if there are two or one seat reserved for the minorities.
â€We hope that other municipalities will be guided by better examples and that they will ensure seats for national minoritiesâ€, Causevic – Podzic stated.
Electoral Law is in accordance with the state law in national minorities, which determines that national minorities’ representation is guaranteed in proportional percentage to the population they are representing at every level of the governance, in accordance to the latest census held in 1991.
Amendments to the Law adopted in April 1998, contains mechanisms for election opf representatives of national minorities, which have seats guaranteed at the municipal assemblies.
(Fena) ef