Preliminary results from Bosnia and Herzegovina's general election have drawn a three-member presidency with one moderate and two nationalist representatives. Denis Becirovic leads the Bosniak vote, Darijana Filipovic wins the race for Croat representative, and Zeljka Cvijanovic is a convincing winner among Serb voters.
The figures from the Bosnian Central Election Commission are based on 94.65 percent of ballots counted. Becirovic of the Social Democratic Party received 26.78 percent, followed by the leader of the Party of Democratic Action Bakir Izetbegovic with 23.88 percent.
Filipovic enters the Presidency for the first time
Darijana Filipovic of the nationalist Croatian Democratic Union of Bosnia and Herzegovina received 13.86 percent of the vote for Croat representative. Second was the candidate of the moderate Democratic Front, Slaven Kovačević, with 9.11 percent.
After the results were announced, Filipovic said that the work of the three members of the Presidency should be an example of the functioning of Bosnian institutions. "The main issue should not be whether the result is 2:1 or 1:2, but that our decisions should be such that we respect each other," she said.
Cvijanovic retains Serbian seat
Željka Cvijanovic of the ruling Union of Independent Social Democrats in Republika Srpska won a second term as the Serbian representative in the Presidency. She collected 55.33 percent against 26.55 percent for Marinko Božović of the Serbian Democratic Party.
Cvijanovic described the result as a victory for Milorad Dodik's party and said that she would continue to strengthen Republika Srpska's positions internationally. Dodik, who is the chairman of the Union of Independent Social Democrats and a former president of Republika Srpska, declared victory for the party at all levels.
The same party's candidate Savo Minič is also leading in the Republika Srpska presidential election with 52.13 percent. Branko Blanuša of the Social Democratic Party is second with 41.91 percent.
Voting also extends to parliaments
The Union of Independent Social Democrats is also leading in the Republika Srpska parliamentary elections with 38.93 percent. In the Muslim-Croat federation, the Party of Democratic Action is in the lead with 30.57 percent, followed by the Social Democratic Party with 15.35 percent and the Croatian Democratic Union of Bosnia and Herzegovina with 13.63 percent.
The voter turnout was 42.02 percent. About 3.4 million people in the country were eligible to vote, and nearly 48,000 Bosniaks living abroad registered to vote. In addition to the three members of the Presidency, citizens elected 518 deputies to the state parliament, the parliaments of the two constituent parts and the cantonal parliaments.
The results remain preliminary until the census is completed and their official confirmation by the Central Election Commission.
Sources: BTA