Bosnia-Herzegovina: Political tensions following Oct. 7 elections /update 1

Event

Voters went to the polls on Sunday, October 7, to elect a national parliament, three members of the national presidency, the parliaments of the country's two entities (Republika Srpska and the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina), and ten cantonal assemblies. According to preliminary results released on Monday, October 8, Milorad Dodik (Bosnian Serb nationalist), Sefik Dzaferovic (Muslim Bosniak party), and Zeljko Komsic (moderate Croat) have won the seats of Bosnia Herzegovina's triumvirate presidency.

Further results will be released throughout the day, amid tensions over the electoral process and numerous fraud allegations; protests are possible in the coming days.

Context

The current complex political system was implemented in 1995 by the Dayton peace agreement, aimed at putting an end to the Bosnian War. The agreement divided the country into two entities: Republika Srpska, predominantly Serb, and the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, predominantly Bosniak and Croat. Each territory has their respective political representation.

Advice

All those present in Bosnia and Herzegovina are advised to monitor developments to the situation and avoid all protests as a precaution.