September 19, 2020

Democracy in Bosnian way: Dead man walking

topic:	Democracy
located:	Bosnia and Herzegovina
editor:	Katarina Panić

Asim Kamber is an MP in Federal Parliament in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Bosnian State Investigation and Protection Agency arrested him four days ago. He is suspected of committing election fraud. His two closest associates are also in custody for the same accusation.

“The suspects were arrested for illegally voting as members of election bodies, using data from the deceased, as well as using votes for persons who did not go to the polls, all to obtain as many votes as possible for certain candidates,” the Prosecutor's Office stated.

In the country, dead people voting is almost a commonplace. There have been jokes about it for a very long time. Families prepare themselves on election day. Someone asks them if they are going to vote. No, we are going there to see granny. She passed away a long ago, but she regularly votes every election. Or, we live in hyper democracy. Not only do the living have the right to vote but also the dead. And so on. So, what's new at all right now? The investigation being led by institutions instead of media only – that is what's new. 

Moreover, that is excellent news since the ruling parties have been desperately refusing to reform the election law for years, despite being ruled to do so by the European Court of Human Rights eleven years ago. As long as the broken electoral system exists, so will they stay on power, regardless of the voters’ will. So, what has changed? Well, some people decided to talk. They were links in the chain. They were close associates of the suspects. Now, they became protected witnesses.

Thanks to them, more evidence is expected to come through. Thanks to them, more similar cases are expected to be revealed all over the country. Thanks to them, fewer wrongdoings is expected in the future, because some are afraid of being arrested. Meanwhile, the media revealed some details from the previous local election, related to arrested MPs.

Sarajevo-based investigative journalist Avdo Avdić published extracts from the register of deaths for three men who died months or years before the 2016 local election. The piece, titled electoral resurrections, also reveals the records made on the day of the election, October 2, 2016, with the three men’s signatures as if they were at the polls.

However, this is just one of the many ways electoral fraud is taking place in the country. For more, stay tuned. The local elections are upcoming.

Image by Ulrike Leone 

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