SECTION III
The National Elections
The PEC outlined the rules for political party and independent candidate registration on 22 April 1996. Political party registration began on 10 May 1996. The rules for registration are outlined below.
Candidates for the Presidency
The rules of candidates for the Presidency apply to elections for the Presidency of Bosnia-Herzegovina and the Presidency of the Republika Srpska. To be a candidate for the Presidency, a person must:
- be a voter.
- indicate which elected seat he is seeking.
- abide by the General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia-Herzegovina, the Code of Conduct for political parties and candidates, and the Rules and Regulations approved by the PEC.
- not be serving a sentence imposed by the International Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia or under indictment by the Tribunal.
- not seek to be elected in any other unit.
Procedures for Registration
A candidate for the Presidency must have his name submitted by the registered party sponsoring the candidate or, in the case of independent candidate, must complete and submit a registration form containing the name, address on the Voters' List, original signature and identity number of 5,000 voters who support the candidate
Registration of political parties and party candidates for Legislative Assemblies.
The rules of registering political parties apply to elections for the House of Representatives of Bosnia-Herzegovina, for the House of Representative of the Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina, and for the National Assembly of the Republika Srpska. To be a candidate for legislative assemblies, a person must:
- be a voter.
- indicate which elected seat he is seeking.
- abide by the General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia-Herzegovina, the Code of Conduct for political parties and candidates, and the Rules and Regulations approved by the PEC.
- not be serving a sentence imposed by the International Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia or under indictment by the Tribunal.
- not seek to be elected in any other unit.
A political party could have registered in the 1996 legislative elections by completing and submitting to the PEC the appropriate application form. The application form had to include a list reflecting the name, address on the Voters' List, original signature, and identity number of each voter who supported the application of the political party. Voters could sign the list of more than one party. The number of voters required to sign the application was as follows:
| Number of Signatures | |
| House of Representatives (Bosnia-Herzegovina) | 10,000 |
| House of Representative (Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina) | 10,000 |
| National Assembly (Republika Srpska) | 10,000 |
Registration of independent candidates for Legislative Assemblies.
The rules of registering independent candidates apply to elections for the House of Representatives of Bosnia-Herzegovina, for the House of Representative of the Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina and for the National Assembly of the Republika Srpska. To be an independent candidate at the election, a person must:
- be a voter.
- declare that he/she will abide by the General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Code of Conduct for political parties and candidates, and the Rules and Regulations approved by the PEC.
- not be serving a sentence imposed by the International Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia or under indictment by the Tribunal.
- seek to be elected in only one electoral unit.
- complete the required application for registration form and submit the necessary number of supporting signatures as follows:
| Number of Signatures | |
| House of Representatives (Bosnia-Herzegovina) | 5,000 |
| House of Representative (Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina) | 5,000 |
| National Assembly (Republika Srpska) | 5,000 |
VOTER REGISTRATION
The PEC used Annexes 3 and 7 of the General Framework Agreement for Peace (GFAP) to establish registration for voters. Annex 3 of the GFAP was designed "to promote free, fair and democratic elections and to lay the foundation for representative government and to ensure the progressive achievement of democratic goals throughout Bosnia-Herzegovina." Annex 7 of the GFAP provided that "all refugees and displaced persons had the right to freely return to their homes of origin," to nullify the effects of ethnic cleansing. As a result, the PEC established the following voter registration rules:
VOTING
With the exception of special police and military personnel who voted on 13 September 1996, the general population voted on 14 September 1996. Elections were held for the House of Representatives of BiH, for the Presidency of BiH, for the House of Representatives of the Federation of BiH, for the National Assembly of the Republka Srpska, and for the Presidency of the Republka Srpska. Not all areas voted for the same offices. For example, those in the Federation entity did not vote for the National Assembly of the Republka Srpska or for the Presidency of the Republka Srpska. Similarly, those in the Republka Srpska entity did not vote for the House of Representatives of the Federation of BiH or for the Presidency of BiH. On election day, the polls were open from 0700 until 1900.
The Line Controller/Ink Controller was located right inside the entrance and had two duties. One, to ensure a controlled flow of voters. Second, to check the fingers of the voter for invisible ink. If invisible ink was detected, the person could not vote, and was instructed to exit the polling station. The next stop for the voter was the identification officers, who verified the voter's identity. After establishing the voter's identity, the identification officer drew a line through the voter's name in the PVL. If the person was not listed in the PVL, then he could still vote by producing an approved Application Form I or II, or approved Appeal Form III.
The third stop for the voter was the ink applicator. Invisible ink was applied to the voter's right index finger at the base of the nail. If the voter had no right index finger, the following inking sequence was followed: thumb, fingers 3,4, and 5. If the voter had no right hand, the same sequence was used on the left hand. If the voter had no fingers, the ink requirement was waived. Once properly inked, the voter was directed to the Ballot Issuers. Here, the proper ballots were issued to the voter, and the voter proceeded to an unoccupied voting screen to vote. Normally, no more than one person at a time could be at the voting screen. However, if a person was blind, illiterate, or suffered from physical incapacitation preventing him from voting, another person, selected by the voter could assist him in marking the ballot.
Each polling station received 1,000 ballots (5,000 total) for each of the five elections. The colors representing the various elections were:
During the polling process, the Ballot Box Controller's duty was to maintain watch over the ballot boxes at all times. After the voter had marked the ballot papers, the Ballot Box Controller instructed the voter to place only one folded ballot into each of the five ballot boxes. The Ballot Box Controller ensured that the color of each ballot matched the color code of the ballot box. The Ballot Box Controller also ensured that no voter left the polling station without placing a ballot in each ballot box. When this was done, the Ballot Box Controller directed the voter to leave the polling station.
Polling Stations were scheduled to close at 1900. However, all qualified voters in the polling station or in line at 1900 were permitted to vote. At 1900, the Chairman stationed a Committee Member at the end of the line to ensure no one joined the line after 1900.
Once the last voter had left the polling station, the slot at the top of each ballot box was sealed securely with the appropriately numbered seals. All marked ballots were packaged, secured, and accounted for by LEC or OSCE Supervisors and Observers at the polling station, prior to transport by MND-N. No MND-N personnel handled individual ballots. Again, no sealed ballot boxes were transferred until the person receiving them had signed the transfer form in the appropriate place. Again, all personnel involved in the transfer of material were in possession of the appropriate identification. The Chairman or OSCE Supervisors/Observers escorted the Ballot Boxes to the designated Counting Center.
ELECTION RESULTS
The national elections results were certified on 29 September 1996. The three main nationalist parties won the elections after placing their candidates in the Presidency and gaining decisive majorities in the parliamentary bodies. The three newly elected presidents are Alija Izetbegovic (Muslim), Kresimir Zuba (Croat), and Momcilo Krajisnik (Serb). Izetbegovic is the Chairman of the Presidency and will serve in this capacity for two years followed by the other two Presidents for one year each.
Section
II: Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE)
Section
IV: Military Support to the National Elections
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