Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina — The National Democratic Institute (NDI) will deploy a Pre-Election Assessment Mission (PEAM) to Bosnia and Herzegovina from June 14–19, 2026, to assess the electoral environment in advance of the country’s general elections scheduled for October 4, 2026.
During its mission, the delegation will meet with a broad range of stakeholders, including the Central Election Commission (CEC), political leaders and party representatives from across the political spectrum and Bosnia and Herzegovina’s entities, civil society organizations, media representatives, and members of the international community. The delegation’s work will be informed by NDI’s longstanding engagement in the country, dating back to 1996 following the Dayton Peace Agreement, and will examine the legal framework, electoral preparations, political and civic participation, and the broader electoral environment.
The delegation is led by Tanja Fajon, former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of Slovenia, and comprises a group of international experts, including: Carsten Schürmann (Germany), Election Technology Expert and Professor of Computer Science at IT University Copenhagen; Natalia Slepuhin (Moldova), Executive Director and co-founder of Primăria Mea (My City Hall); Mark Stevens (United Kingdom), International Elections Expert; Richard L. Klein, Global Director of Elections, National Democratic Institute (NDI); and Borislav Spasojevic, Senior Advisor for Southeast Europe, International Republican Institute (IRI).
“Bosnia and Herzegovina’s elections come at a tense moment for the country and will involve the introduction of new election day technology," said Ms. Fajon. “Strong democratic institutions depend on public trust, meaningful participation, and respect for democratic norms. It is essential that citizens and political actors have confidence that the process is transparent, inclusive and accountable.”
“Pre-election assessment missions play a vital role in supporting credible elections by drawing attention to key electoral issues well before election day,” said Mr. Klein. “By providing an independent and impartial assessment and offering practical recommendations, we aim to strengthen confidence in the electoral process and focus attention on the conditions necessary for citizens to participate freely and confidently.”
At the conclusion of its visit, the delegation will hold a press conference to present its findings and recommendations. NDI’s assessment is being conducted in accordance with the laws of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Declaration of Principles for International Election Observation, which outlines standards for impartial and professional election observation.
This initiative is made possible with the generous support of the National Endowment for Democracy (NED). The work of the delegation, including its findings and recommendations, is solely that of the Institute and the delegation.
For media inquiries in English, please contact Paulina Chavez Alonzo at [email protected]
For media inquiries in Bosnian, Croatian, or Serbian, please contact Nenad Simovic at [email protected]
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NDI organizuje Misiju za procjenu pred izbore u Bosni i Hercegovini uoči Općih izbora 2026.
(Sarajevo, 14.06.2026) Nacionalni demokratski institut (NDI) organizuje Misiju za procjenu pred izbore (PEAM) u Bosni i Hercegovini od 14. do 19. juna 2026. godine, kako bi procijenio izbornu situaciju uoči općih izbora u zemlji zakazanih za 4. oktobar 2026. godine. Tokom misije, delegacija će se sastati sa širokim krugom relevantnih sagovornika, uključujući Centralnu izbornu komisiju (CIK), političke lidere i predstavnike stranaka iz cijelog političkog spektra i oba entiteta Bosne i Hercegovine, te predstavnike organizacija civilnog društva, medija i članove međunarodne zajednice. Rad delegacije bit će zasnovan na dugogodišnjem angažmanu NDI-a u zemlji, koji seže od 1996. godine nakon Dejtonskog mirovnog sporazuma, te će ispitivati pravni okvir, izborne pripreme, političko i građansko učešće, kao i širi izborni ambijent.
Delegaciju predvodi Tanja Fajon, bivša zamjenica premijera i ministrica vanjskih i evropskih poslova Republike Slovenije, dok misiju čini grupa međunarodnih stručnjaka, kao što su: Carsten Schürmann (Njemačka), stručnjak za izbornu tehnologiju i profesor informatike na IT Univerzitetu u Kopenhagenu; Natalia Slepuhin (Moldavija), izvršna direktorica i suosnivačica organizacije Primăria Mea; Mark Stevens (Ujedinjeno Kraljevstvo), međunarodni stručnjak za izbore; Richard L. Klein, globalni direktor za izbore, Nacionalni demokratski institut (NDI) i Borislav Spasojević, viši savjetnik za jugoistočnu Evropu, Međunarodni republikanski institut (IRI).
„Izbori u Bosni i Hercegovini dolaze u napetom trenutku za zemlju i uključivat će uvođenje nove tehnologije na dan izbora. Snažne demokratske institucije ovise o povjerenju javnosti, smislenom učešću i poštivanju demokratskih normi. Neophodno je da građani i politički akteri imaju povjerenje da je proces transparentan, inkluzivan i odgovoran“, poručila je Fajon.
„Misije za procjenu pred izbore igraju ključnu ulogu u podršci vjerodostojnim izborima privlačenjem pažnje na ključna izborna pitanja mnogo prije dana izbora. Pružanjem nezavisne i nepristrasne procjene i davanjem praktičnih preporuka, cilj nam je ojačati povjerenje u izborni proces i usmjeriti pažnju na uvjete neophodne da građani slobodno i pouzdano učestvuju“, istakao je Klein.
Na kraju svoje posjete, delegacija će na press konferenciji predstaviti svoje nalaze i preporuke. Procjena NDI-a provodi se u skladu sa zakonima Bosne i Hercegovine i Deklaracijom principa za međunarodno posmatranje izbora, koja utvrđuje standarde za nepristrasno i profesionalno posmatranje izbora.
Ova inicijativa je omogućena uz velikodušnu podršku Nacionalne zadužbine za demokratiju (NED). Rad delegacije, uključujući njene nalaze i preporuke, isključivo je djelo Instituta i delegacije.
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Za medijske upite na engleskom jeziku, kontaktirajte Paulinu Chavez Alonzo na [email protected]
Za medijske upite u BiH, kontaktirajte Nenada Simovića na [email protected]