5th February 2015.
On February 5th, 2015 the Central Election Commission of Bosnia and Herzegovina organized, for the tenth time, a conference to promote the initiative to celebrate the Global Election Day. This year’s conference was held under the slogan “Necessity of changing the election-related legislation and voter turnout trends in Bosnia and Herzegovina”.
The Conference was held in the Parliament of Bosnia and Herzegovina and it had brought together more than 80 participants – representatives of both Houses of the BiH Parliamentary Assembly, representatives of the international organizations, civil society organizations, election administration and the media.
Mr. Stepan Mikić, president of the BiH Central Election Commission, Mrs. Borjana Krišto, first deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives of the BiH Parliamentary Assembly, H.E. Ambassador of the OSCE Mission to BiH Mr. Johnathan Moor and Head of the Office of the Council of Europe in BiH Mrs. Mary Ann Hennessey were keynote speakers at the conference.
Following the key-note speakers, members of the BiH Central Election Commission Mr. Vlado Rogić, Mr. Branko Petrić and Dr. Ahmet Šantić held presentations. Every presentation was followed by question and answer session where the members of the BiH Parliamentary Assembly commended the BIH CEC’s initiative to discuss these topics in such a manner in the BiH Parliamentary Assembly.
The Conference was followed both by print and electronic media in BiH. After the Conference the BiH Central Election Commission organized a small informal gathering for all participants.
Furthermore, as an introduction to the initiative to promote the Global Election Day, the BiH Central Election Commission had a great pleasure to welcome on January 29, 2015 the political science students of the Faculty of Philosophy, Mostar University. As part of the visit Dr. Ahmet Šantić and Mr. Vlado Rogić, members of the BiH Central Election Commission held a presentation about “The basics of election system of Bosnia and Herzegovina”. In this way the students, beside the theoretical knowledge, got the information about important aspects of the legislative concept of the election system and its functioning in BiH through the practical classes.
Also the BiH Central Election Commission sent a letter to the municipal/city election commissions in BiH reminding them to organize similar events in their local or regional communities aimed at promoting the initiative to celebrate the Global Election Day. The Municipal Election Commission Gradiška, organized promotion of the initiative in senior classes of the High school of technics in Gradiška, under the slogan “Election legislation, voters and election management bodies”.
The BiH Central Election Commission remains committed to the principles of democratic elections and strongly supports the initiative to celebrate the Global Elections Day.