Press Release
Sarajevo, 16 March 2026 – In light of certain media reports and differing interpretations in the public regarding the election of the Mayor of the City of Sarajevo, the Central Election Commission of Bosnia and Herzegovina hereby informs the public of the relevant legal framework governing this procedure.
Article 13.10(3) of the Election Law of Bosnia and Herzegovina clearly stipulates that each city council, or city assembly, shall elect the mayor and the president of the city council in the manner prescribed by law and the statute of the city.
Accordingly, the election of the Mayor of the City of Sarajevo is conducted by the City Council of the City of Sarajevo, as the representative body of the city’s citizens, in accordance with the procedure established by the Statute of the City of Sarajevo. The City Council consists of 28 councillors delegated by the municipal councils of the municipalities comprising the City of Sarajevo from among the elected municipal councillors, after which that body, once constituted, elects the mayor and deputy mayors.
With regard to the claims concerning the verification of candidates for mayor in the City of Sarajevo, the City of Mostar and the Brčko District of Bosnia and Herzegovina, we emphasize that the Central Election Commission of Bosnia and Herzegovina carried out the verifications prescribed by law in the procedure of nominating those persons for representative bodies: the City Council of Mostar, the Municipal Council of Novo Sarajevo and the Assembly of the Brčko District of Bosnia and Herzegovina for the 2024 Local Elections.
The Central Election Commission of Bosnia and Herzegovina does not in any way contest the election of the mayor and acts exclusively within the scope of competencies established by the Election Law of Bosnia and Herzegovina.