Press Release
CHANGES TOWARD MORE DEMOCRATIC ELECTIONS

The Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Bosnia and Herzegovina estimates that in the preparations for the upcoming elections enough has been made to improve conditions for fair and democratic elections. This statement refers primarily to changes made in Provisional Rules and Regulations, changes in the process of registration of voters, and to more open media for all the candidates. The Helsinki Committee has also registered improvements in the field of freedom of movement, making associations as well as of realization of right to having peaceful meetings.
Yet, however, this pre-election campaign was marked with cases of intimidation and physical attacks over the candidates of the opposition parties. Beating up of Hasan Sabic, director of electoral campaign of Social democrats of BH for Central Bosnian Canton in Travnik, physical attack over the candidate of the New Croatian Initiative Ivo Blaz in Vitez as well as pressures exerted over the candidates of DNZ were the most drastic examples of not permissible behaviour in pre-election campaign.
The atmosphere of this year's campaign is characterized by the fact that indicted war criminals, among whom Radovan Karadzic, have not yet been arrested, this maintaining the atmosphere of fear, distrust and unlawfullness, specially in some parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The process of return of refugees and displaced persons still comes up against serious obstacles and resistance. Although, this year was proclaimed as a year of return, this rights has not been realised. A number of refugees and displaced persons, this year also, shall vote by mail and at the voting stations outside the country, and this is not contributing to more democratic elections.
It is with regret that the Helsinki Committee states that even on the eve of these elections, transformation of the state Radio-TV houses into public institutions has not been done, this being the only road toward establishment of the real equality of participants at the elections and to their adequate presence in the most influential mass media.
The Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Bosnia and Herzegovina states that, in Bosnia and Herzegovina, in comparison to the elections held in 1996 and 1997, conditions for fair and democratic elections have been considerably improved. However, this year's September elections will be held under conditions which defer essentially from the European criteria and from the atmosphere which for elections of governments is present in democratic countries.

Sarajevo, 8 September 1998
No. 08A-09/98