The response of the criminal justice system to threats to the fairness and integrity of the electoral process
Neum, 23.06.2023 – The two-day conference “Effectiveness of the response of the criminal justice system to threats to the fairness and integrity of the electoral process: Further operationalization of the HJPC's conclusions regarding of election frauds with the aim of more efficient criminal prosecution”, organized by the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina and in cooperation with the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the EU Delegation to Bosnia and Herzegovina, ended today. In additional to the representatives of the judicial community and law enforcement agencies Dr. Suad Arnautović, president and Dr. Ahmet Šantić, member of the Central Election Commission of BiH also attended the conference.
In his introductory presentation, Dr. Arnautović pointed out that improvement of the electoral process requires, inter alia, better and more effective cooperation between the Central Election Commission of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the prosecutor's offices, better exchange of information, aimed at timely prosecution and ultimately sanctioning of all violations of the Election Law of BiH. Dr. Arnautović believes that the training of the judicial community and election administration should be increased in the future in order to strengthen the integrity of the election process, and here he sees room for a more engaging role of the centers for the education of judges and prosecutors.
As part of the session on prioritization and optimal work efficiency, Dr. Ahmet Šantić, a member of the Central Election Commission of Bosnia and Herzegovina, delivered a presentation on the experiences of the Central Election Commission of Bosnia and Herzegovina concerning submission of criminal reports to the competent prosecutor's offices.
The participants discussed short-term measures and an action plan in relation to future steps of the judiciary, the law enforcement bodies and the election administration in the light of the upcoming local elections in BiH in 2024.