2018 Bosnian general election

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2018 Bosnian general election

← 2014 7 October 2018 2022 →
Turnout54.02% (presidential) Decrease 0.45 pp
54.03% (parliamentary) Decrease 0.44 pp
Bosniak member of the Presidency
 
Candidate Šefik Džaferović Denis Bećirović
Party SDA SDP BiH
Popular vote 212,581 194,688
Percentage 36.61% 33.53%
Croat member of the Presidency
 
Candidate Željko Komšić Dragan Čović
Party DF HDZ BiH
Popular vote 225,500 154,819
Percentage 52.64% 36.14%
Serb member of the Presidency
 
Candidate Milorad Dodik Mladen Ivanić
Party SNSD PDP
Popular vote 368,210 292,065
Percentage 53.88% 42.74%

Results of the presidential elections (from left to right: Bosniak, Croat, Serb.) Darker shade indicates a larger share of the vote for the indicated candidate.

Presidency members before election

Bakir Izetbegović (Bosniak)
Dragan Čović (Croat)
Mladen Ivanić (Serb)

Elected Presidency members

Šefik Džaferović (Bosniak)
Željko Komšić (Croat)
Milorad Dodik (Serb)


All 42 seats in the House of Representatives
22 seats needed for a majority
Party Leader % Seats +/–
SDA Bakir Izetbegović 17.01 9 −1
SNSD Milorad Dodik 16.03 6 0
SDSNDP–NS–SRS Vukota Govedarica 9.80 3 −2
SDP BiH Nermin Nikšić 9.08 5 +2
HDZHSSHSPHKDU Dragan Čović 9.05 5 +1
DFGS Željko Komšić 5.81 3 −2
PDP Branislav Borenović 5.06 2 +1
DNS Marko Pavić 4.18 1 0
SBB Fahrudin Radončić 4.16 2 −2
NS Predrag Kojović 2.92 2 +2
NB Senad Šepić 2.51 1 New
PDA Mirsad Kukić 2.32 1 New
SP Petar Đokić 1.89 1 +1
A-SDA Nermin Ogrešević 1.84 1 0
This lists parties that won seats. See the complete results below.
Chairman before Chairman after
Denis Zvizdić
SDA
Zoran Tegeltija
SNSD

General elections were held in Bosnia and Herzegovina on 7 October 2018. They decided the makeup of Bosnia and Herzegovina's Presidency as well as national, entity and cantonal governments. Voter turnout was 54%.

The elections for the House of Representatives were divided into two; one for the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and one for Republika Srpska. In the presidential election, voters in the Federation elected Bosniak Šefik Džaferović and Croat Željko Komšić, while voters in Republika Srpska elected Serb Milorad Dodik.

The Party of Democratic Action (SDA) emerged as the largest party in the House of Representatives, winning 9 of the 42 seats. The Alliance of Independent Social Democrats (SNSD) came in second with 6 seats, while the Social Democratic Party won 5 seats, up two from the previous general election in 2014; the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ BiH) also ended up with 5 seats. The Serb Democratic Party and the Democratic Front (DF) each won three seats. The election also saw a significant decline of the Union for a Better Future, going from 8.71% of the popular vote down to 4.16%, enough for two seats.

After a one year governmental formation crisis following the election, in December 2019, a coalition led by the SDA, the SNSD and the HDZ BiH, which also included the DF and the Democratic People's Alliance, formed a new government headed by the SNSD's Zoran Tegeltija.

Electoral system[edit]

The three members of the Presidency are elected by plurality. In Republika Srpska voters elect the Serb representative, whilst in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina voters elect the Bosniak and Croat members.[1] Voters registered in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina can vote for either the Bosniak or Croat candidate, but cannot vote in both elections.

The 42 members of the House of Representatives are elected by open list proportional representation in two constituencies, the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Republika Srpska.[2] These two constituencies are subsequently divided in eight electoral units.

A total of 3,352,933 citizens were registered to vote; 2,092,336 in the Federation and 1,260,597 in Republika Srpska (citizens living in Brčko District voted in one of the entities). There were 77,814 persons registered to vote outside of Bosnia and Herzegovina, out of which 76,729 persons were registered to vote by mail and 1,085 were registered to vote at diplomatic missions.

Results[edit]

Turnout at the level of Bosnia and Herzegovina was 53.36%; the Federation 51.25%; Republika Srpska 57.30% and Brčko District 46.81%. The percentage was slightly lower as compared to 2014 that was 54.14%. The Bosnian Central Election Commission (CEC) reported that all 5,714 polling stations closed down in time or with slight delay. According to the initial assessment by the CEC, the elections passed in an overall calm and peaceful atmosphere.[citation needed]

Presidency[edit]

The elected members of the national Presidency were Šefik Džaferović (Bosniak, SDA), Željko Komšić (Croat, DF) and Milorad Dodik (Serb, SNSD). There was controversy over the election of the Croat member, as the non-nationalist candidate Željko Komšić (Democratic Front) won against the nationalist Dragan Čović (HDZ BiH) with the help of Bosniak voters, with Komšić winning first place almost exclusively in municipalities without a Croat relative majority. The result prompted protests of Croats accusing Bosniaks of out-voting and calling for the creation of their own entity or electoral constituency. In the following days, protests were held in Mostar with signs "Not my president".[3][4] In the days following election, several municipalities with Croat majority declared Komšić persona non grata.[5][6]

CandidatePartyVotes%
Bosniak member
Šefik DžaferovićParty of Democratic Action212,58136.61
Denis BećirovićSocial Democratic Party194,68833.53
Fahrudin RadončićUnion for a Better Future75,21012.95
Mirsad HadžikadićPlatform for Progress58,55510.09
Senad ŠepićIndependent Bloc29,9225.15
Amer JerlagićParty for Bosnia and Herzegovina9,6551.66
Total580,611100.00
Croat member
Željko KomšićDemocratic Front225,50052.64
Dragan ČovićCroatian Democratic Union154,81936.14
Diana ZelenikaCroatian Democratic Union 199025,8906.04
Boriša FalatarOur Party16,0363.74
Jerko Ivanković LijanovićPeople's Party Work for Prosperity6,0991.42
Total428,344100.00
Serb member
Milorad DodikAlliance of Independent Social Democrats368,21053.88
Mladen IvanićAlliance for Victory (SDSPDPNDPSRS RSSRS VS)292,06542.74
Mirjana PopovićSerb Progressive Party12,7311.86
Gojko KličkovićFirst Serb Democratic Party10,3551.52
Total683,361100.00
Valid votes1,692,31693.37
Invalid/blank votes120,2596.63
Total votes1,812,575100.00
Registered voters/turnout3,355,42954.02
Source: CEC

House of Representatives[edit]

PartyVotes%Seats+/–
Party of Democratic Action281,73117.019–1
Alliance of Independent Social Democrats265,59316.0360
SDSNDP–NS–SRS162,4149.803–2
Social Democratic Party150,4549.0852
HDZHSSHSP–HSP AS–HKDU149,8729.0551
Democratic FrontCivic Alliance96,1745.813–2
Party of Democratic Progress83,8325.0621
Democratic People's Alliance69,2894.1810
Union for a Better Future68,9934.162–2
Our Party48,4012.9222
Independent Bloc41,5122.511New
Movement of Democratic Action38,4172.321New
Socialist Party31,3211.8911
Party of Democratic Activity30,4821.8410
HDZ 1990HSP28,9621.7500
People and Justice23,3811.410New
Party for Bosnia and Herzegovina17,8301.0800
Bosnian-Herzegovinian Patriotic Party16,4330.990–1
Independent Bosnian-Herzegovinian List12,5050.750New
Labour Party7,7340.4700
First Serb Democratic Party7,5130.450New
Pensioners' Party7,1850.430New
Bosnian Party5,7710.3500
Serb Progressive Party4,7500.2900
Union for New Politics2,1090.130New
Croatian Party BiH1,0950.070New
Liberal Democratic Party1,8330.110New
The Left Wing9300.060New
Total1,656,516100.00420
Valid votes1,656,51691.37
Invalid/blank votes156,4448.63
Total votes1,812,960100.00
Registered voters/turnout3,355,42954.03
Source: CEC

By entity[edit]

PartyFederationRepublika SrpskaTotal
seats
Votes%SeatsVotes%Seats
Party of Democratic Action252,05825.48829,6734.4519
Alliance of Independent Social Democrats4,6630.470260,93039.1066
SDSNDP–NS–SRS162,41424.3433
Social Democratic Party140,78214.2359,6721.4505
HDZHSSHSP–HSP AS–HKDU145,48714.7154,3850.6605
Democratic FrontCivic Alliance96,1749.7233
Party of Democratic Progress83,83212.5622
Democratic People's Alliance6520.07068,63710.2911
Union for a Better Future67,5996.8321,3940.2102
Our Party48,4014.8922
Independent Bloc41,5124.2011
Movement of Democratic Action38,4173.8811
Socialist Party31,3214.6911
Party of Democratic Activity29,7263.0117560.1101
HDZ 1990HSP28,9622.9300
People and Justice23,3812.3600
Party for Bosnia and Herzegovina17,8301.8000
Bosnian-Herzegovinian Patriotic Party16,4331.6600
Independent Bosnian-Herzegovinian List12,5051.2600
Labour Party7,7340.7800
First Serb Democratic Party7,5131.1300
Pensioners' Party7,1850.7300
Bosnian Party5,7710.5800
Serb Progressive Party4,7500.7100
Union for New Politics7280.0701,3810.2100
Croatian Party BiH1,0950.1100
Liberal Democratic Party1,8330.1900
The Left Wing2640.0306660.1000
Total989,192100.0028667,324100.001442
Valid votes989,19291.17667,32491.67
Invalid/blank votes95,8448.8360,6008.33
Total votes1,085,036100.00727,924100.00
Registered voters/turnout2,093,78451.821,261,64557.70
Source: CEC

Reactions[edit]

Following the results and Željko Komšić's election to the Presidency, largely due to votes in majority Bosniak areas, Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković, who endorsed the incumbent Presidency member Dragan Čović, criticized Komšić's victory: "We are again in a situation where members of one constituent people ... are electing a representative of another, the Croat people".[7] Komšić responded that the Croatian Government is undermining Bosnia and Herzegovina and its sovereignty.[8]

See also[edit]

Further reading[edit]

  • Hulsey, John; Keil, Soeren (27 April 2020). "Change amidst continuity? Assessing the 2018 regional elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina". Regional & Federal Studies. 30 (3): 343–361. doi:10.1080/13597566.2020.1754204. S2CID 219020743.

References[edit]

External links[edit]