Transparency International Bosnia flags 1,200 potential public‑fund misuse cases ahead of elections

Transparency International Bosnia and Herzegovina (TI BiH) reported more than 1,200 instances that could constitute misuse of public resources for political promotion during the pre‑election period.

About 70 % of the cases involve intensified public works; completed projects are valued at roughly 126 million convertible marks (KM) and started projects at about 453 million KM. The monitoring also recorded at least 108 cases of one‑off budget payments totalling over 45 million KM, mainly to pensioners, which violates the election law.

TI BiH said the practice includes free services, transport, salary increases and other non‑monetary benefits. It warned that such spending is prohibited for campaign purposes and that many examples have escaped sanctions. "It is prohibited to conduct campaign activities on public projects, yet many examples have passed without sanctions," said Srđan Traljić, TI BiH’s public‑relations manager, noting the involvement of party leaders such as SNSD president Milorad Dodik.