The BiH Election Law stipulates a fixed period of four years between General Elections. The object of this provision is to ensure stability.
Amending the Election Law to allow new elections would produce multiple elections and revolving-door administrations – with subsequent long term and destabilising consequences.
Early elections would also shift the focus away from the reforms that BiH needs to implement in order to complete the Feasibility Study requirements. The labour-hours, political capital and effort required to steer election changes through BiH’s parliamentary process would be much better spent on raising living standards and getting BiH into the European Union.
Each election costs around KM 10 million and takes time to organise. The current Law gives 170 days, over five months, for the preparation of elections. It would be impossible to expect to hold elections before the spring of 2006 – just months ahead of the elections that are already scheduled for October.
The municipal elections organised by BiH last year were universally welcomed as a sign of BiH’s burgeoning democratic maturity. Amending the Election Law now would risk undermining this achievement.