Mostar electoral law reforms spark political debate in Bosnia

Bosnia and Herzegovina’s city of Mostar continues to grapple with its unique electoral framework, which sets specific quotas for the constitutive peoples and indirect mayoral elections. The rules, imposed in 2004 by then High Representative Paddy Ashdown, were later struck down by the BiH Constitutional Court after an appeal by Croatian representatives, leaving the city without elections for twelve years.

In 2020, a compromise between the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) and the Party of Democratic Action (SDA) produced the “Mostar Agreement,” amending the most contentious provisions of the city’s statute. However, the second part of the deal on legitimate representation was never implemented. As former negotiator Slaven Zeljko said, “We finally managed to amend the electoral law … and finally held elections in Mostar, but we need to go further and complete the comprehensive reform for legitimate representation.”

Local officials, including HRS councilor Slaven Bevanda, argue that similar mechanisms could be applied to other divided municipalities such as Brčko, offering potential solutions to entrenched ethnic voting structures.