Four Mayer's places and 14, 5% places in local Assembles

WRITES: MILKICA MILOJEVIC

Women won four from altogether 140 Mayer's mandates, in other words less 3% (2, 8 %) at October's local elections in BiH. When we speak about board member's mandates, women struggled for 465 mandates, in other words 14, 5 % places in local assembles from total 3186 board member's places in 139 Municipalities, in cities: Banja Luka, Mostar, and Brcko district.

Assembles without women

It isn't chosen any female board member in eight municipalities in BiH, five in Federation BiH, and three in RS. Such election results were in Tomislavgrad, Pale, Nevesinje, Gacko, Municipality Doboj Jug, Bosansko Grahovo, Bileca, and in Buzim. It is interesting that the women the worst past in Herzegovina's Municipalities, and those at dividing line of Bosnia and Herzegovina. In even 17 Municipalities, that's mean 12% local communities in BiH, only per one woman has chosen for female board member - in Zivinice, Zavidovici, Sekovici, Teocak, Olovo, Novi Travnik, Neum, Vukosavlje, Derventa, Bosanski Petrovac, Donji Zabar, Kladanj, Osmaci, Jablanica, Istocna Ilidza, Donji Vakuf, and in Municipality Doboj Istok(east). According the rule, it is case about small Municipalities, but there are surprises. A lot of people expected better "passing" of women candidates, for example in Derventa and Nevesinje, or in the only one Bosnian and Herzegovina town Neum.

Anyway, the fact is that we have one or no one woman board member in even 25 local communities, what makes almost 20 Municipalities in BiH. The best passing women had, as was expected in bigger urban centers. Seven female board members chose in Banja Luka, what is less than in last mandate, when were 11 female board members, but they are still made 22% Banja Luka's city assembly. Seven female board members chose in Prijedor, Foca, and in Sarajevo's Municipality Novi Grad, in Pale, Bijeljina, and in Mrkonjic Grad. Female candidates made better result at last elections in Sanski Most, Bratunac, and Kiseljak where they won per eight from 23 mandates. It is necessary point out successes of local politic women in small areas, too. So, women won six from total 15 board members places in Municipality Ravno, they won six from eleven mandates in Municipality Kupres in Republic of Srpska, in Jezero five from 17, and in Petrovac in RS five from total 11 mandates.  

The best results in Sarajevo, the biggest number of female board members from SNSD

As was expecting, the best women past in Sarajevo's Municipalities. Women won per six mandates in Municipalities Centar and Ilidza, they won seven in Novi Grad, in Stari Grad ten from total 31 mandates, while even 11 mandates belonged to women from 34 mandates in Novo Sarajevo. Also, it is interesting that women succeeded to win even five mandates in Mostar, even though those board members are chosen in even seven election units, what gives advantage to men favorites. At the end, according to expectations, the most successful women at the last election were women from SNSD who won about hundred board members mandates.  All four chosen female Meyers are also from Milorad Dodik's party.

Unpleasant surprise is PDP. Although, the party of Mladen Ivanic solidly past at election, it won only few women's mandates.

Female candidates from SDA were successful, too, especially in areas in which this party won relative or absolute majority.

Causes and consequences of the less number of won mandates

According to earlier elections, it is recorded small fall participating women in local assembles, because for example at last local elections was chosen about 17% female board members. One of the reasons is definitely participating of big number small parties, which will participate by one or two representatives in new chosen assembles and councils, and women have weak chances in such conditions. Also, it is noticed that women had not chosen at all on the lists new parties, like local parties (Pokret za nas grad, Pokret za Trebinje, Snaga Bosne, and etc.), or new formed Our parties. That confirms already known rule that women when they act with politics are determined for big parties with longer tradition, but it is opened possibility that the new and local parties or independent lists candidate women only in order to satisfy legal form, so they didn't have enough qualitative and interested female candidates for campaign.

Still, many analysts and female analysts consider that result from 14, 5 % women's mandates isn't for depreciate, and that can testify about certain stabilization of women participation in local politic and development women's resources in leading political parties, too. Also, it is noticed that more and more young women entry into politics through local election.

One of the most important qualities of the last elections is the facts that are not rare female candidates who succeeded from middle or even from the bottom candidate's lists "push through" at the top and win mandate in local assemble thanks to serious street campaign.

Breaking of election law unpunished

One of mistakes for which is responsible Central election commission is disrespect regulations of Election law, which are regard on the quotas, in other words obligation of proportion minority's sex. So, for example, Serbian National Radical Party candidates women exclusively at the first 14 places at the lists in Banja Luka, but the party candidates men at the last 14 places. Although, candidates from both sex must candidate, according to law alternately. CEC confirmed this lists, and the party participated at elections. Also, the first list of independent candidates from Kljuc had only three candidates and everyone were - men. These proceeding's mistakes have been unforgivable for eight years after quotas innovation, and they only confirm that this election rule still today is not comprehended seriously.

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Suspicions and complains

A last election passed in sign of numerous complains of specific political parties at regularity of election process. Unusually high percent of invalid votes provoked the biggest storm, especially in urban areas where voters more literate and educated for voting. It was more than 10 % invalid voter's lists, and it was noticed cases that one person few times votes, or that he very often helped handicapped or illiterate voters in Banja Luka. That it isn't allowed. Majority of complains refused as unfounded, but still is left the fact that Central Election Commission did not confirm the results of election in even eight Municipalities. The results of election are not confirmed for Meyers in Novi Travnik, in Istocna Ilidza, then for municipal assembly Jajce, Bijeljina, Capljina, Gorazde, Foca, and Tuzla. Confirmation of elections results in stated election's units will follow when the court of appeal department resolve complains.

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Names of lunatics

One from the interesting things during the last elections are nicknames, which some candidates pointed out at lists by name and surname in order to attract attention of voters. So, for example, Hadzija, Kockar, Robija, Secer, Pjena, and Kada are found among more than 30 000 candidates. Mirsad Mujcinovic called Funkcija, even won function - board member place in Municipal council in Tesanj. That is case about quarter comprehension of the politics, testifies the fact that picturesque nicknames according the rule could find only at candidates lists in small and undeveloped municipalities, and of course only with men names.

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