Newsroom
Keynote speech focuses on election law in Bosnia and Herzegovina
SARAJEVO 23 February 2001
SARAJEVO, 23 February 2001 - The Director of the Elections/Implementation Department of the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ms. Francesca Binda, was the keynote speaker at an orientation seminar for new and former members of the Republika Srpska National Assembly. The seminar was hosted by the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI) in Teslic yesterday.
In her speech, Ms. Binda focused on the necessity for the newly elected BiH Parliamentary Assembly to pass the permanent election law as soon as possible.
"One of the main pre-conditions for BiH's accession to the Council of Europe, and one of the requirements on the 'EU Road Map' is the passage of a permanent election law," said Ms. Binda in her speech. "Failure to pass the law will signal to the Council of Europe and the EU that BiH's leaders are insincere about their desire to join Europe's clubs."
At the well attended seminar, around sixty newly elected Members of Parliament were present, Ms. Binda went on to explain the process of nationalizing the election process. In the last five years, elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina were held and paid for by the OSCE.
Now, the OSCE is focussing on transferring skills and knowledge in this process of nationalisation. Francesca Binda voiced the opinion that one of the major challenges facing the nationalisation of the election process was building confidence in the system.
"Regardless of how correctly and honestly the administration of elections is conducted, if citizens don't have confidence in the process the entire system can be poisoned. This leads to a lack of confidence in those who win the elections and, therefore, the governments that take power based on the election results", Ms. Binda stated.
Francesca Binda, who has more than twenty years of experience in the field of politics, appealed to the parliamentarians to take a responsible role in the development of a democratic and free society.
The OSCE established its present Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina on 18 December 1995. In accordance with the General Framework Agreement for Peace (GFAP), the OSCE Mission activities are to: promote Democratization and the building of a vibrant civil society, foster the development of professional journalism and monitor the rights of journalists, monitor and advance the Human Rights situation, supervise the conduct of Elections, and encourage Regional Stabilization through arms control and confidence and security-building measures.
The OSCE Mission continues to work closely with other international organizations and local institutions to implement the Dayton Peace Accords.
For further information please contact Henriette Schroeder, Deputy Spokesperson, at (++387/33) 292-153 or (++387/66) 165-038.
In her speech, Ms. Binda focused on the necessity for the newly elected BiH Parliamentary Assembly to pass the permanent election law as soon as possible.
"One of the main pre-conditions for BiH's accession to the Council of Europe, and one of the requirements on the 'EU Road Map' is the passage of a permanent election law," said Ms. Binda in her speech. "Failure to pass the law will signal to the Council of Europe and the EU that BiH's leaders are insincere about their desire to join Europe's clubs."
At the well attended seminar, around sixty newly elected Members of Parliament were present, Ms. Binda went on to explain the process of nationalizing the election process. In the last five years, elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina were held and paid for by the OSCE.
Now, the OSCE is focussing on transferring skills and knowledge in this process of nationalisation. Francesca Binda voiced the opinion that one of the major challenges facing the nationalisation of the election process was building confidence in the system.
"Regardless of how correctly and honestly the administration of elections is conducted, if citizens don't have confidence in the process the entire system can be poisoned. This leads to a lack of confidence in those who win the elections and, therefore, the governments that take power based on the election results", Ms. Binda stated.
Francesca Binda, who has more than twenty years of experience in the field of politics, appealed to the parliamentarians to take a responsible role in the development of a democratic and free society.
The OSCE established its present Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina on 18 December 1995. In accordance with the General Framework Agreement for Peace (GFAP), the OSCE Mission activities are to: promote Democratization and the building of a vibrant civil society, foster the development of professional journalism and monitor the rights of journalists, monitor and advance the Human Rights situation, supervise the conduct of Elections, and encourage Regional Stabilization through arms control and confidence and security-building measures.
The OSCE Mission continues to work closely with other international organizations and local institutions to implement the Dayton Peace Accords.
For further information please contact Henriette Schroeder, Deputy Spokesperson, at (++387/33) 292-153 or (++387/66) 165-038.