- Title: BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA: THE VOTE-COUNTING IN BOSNIA'S ELECTION BEGINS
- Date: 14th September 1996
- Summary: SARAJEVO, MOSTAR AND BANJA LUKA, BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA (SEPTEMBER 14 AND 15, 1996) (RTV/ RTV (A) -- ACCESS ALL) SARAJEVO (SEPTEMBER 14, 1996) (RTV - ACCESS ALL) 1. SLV OFFICIALS CLOSING DOORS TO POLLING STATION 0.10 2. SV LAST VOTERS CASTING BALLOTS 0.20 3. MCU/SV OFFICIALS SEALING BALLOT BOXES/ COLLECTING VOTER REGISTRATION FORMS; OBSERVER FROM THE ORGANISATION FOR SECURITY AND COOPERATION IN EUROPE (OSCE) SAYING "IT'S OVER NOW, THANK YOU" (ENGLISH) (4 SHOTS) 0.45 MOSTAR (SEPTEMBER 14, 1996)(RTV - ACCESS ALL) 4. SLV SOLDIER ST DOOR TO POLLONG STATION 0.51 5. CU/SLV OFFICIALS SEALING BALLOT BOXES IN WEST MOSTAR POLLING STATION (2 SHOTS) 1.06 BANJA LUKA (SEPTEMBER 14, 1996) (RTV(A) - ACCESS ALL) 6. SV BOXES TAKEN FROM TRUCK TO HALL 1.16 7. LV/SV HALL WHERE OFFICIALS STORE SEALED BALLOT BOXES (3 SHOTS) 1.30 SARAJEVO (SEPTEMBER 14, 1996) (RTV ACCESS ALL) 8. CU COPY OF LETTER TO UNITED NATIONS FROM PARTY OF DEMOCRATIC ACTION (SDA) CALLING FOR RESULTS FROM SERB-HELD AREAS TO BE HELD INVALID 1.38 7. U.S ENVOY RICHARD HOLBROOKE WITH INTERNATIONAL OBSERVERS INCLUDING EUROPEAN UNION ENVOY CARL BILDT 9. LV OSCE CHIEF, AMBASSADOR ROBERT FROWICK AT PRESS CONFERENCE 1.43 10.MCU FROWICK SAYING EVERYONE HAD A CHANCE TO VOTE, OBSERVERS ARE SATISFIED; IT IS NOT UP TO POLITICAL PARTIES TO DECIDE VALIDITY OF ELECTIONS; IT WILL BE THE SOLE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE OSCE (ENGLISH) 2.20 SARAJEVO (SEPTEMBER 15, 1996) (RTV(A) - ACCESS ALL) 11.MCU BOSNIAN PRIME MINISTER HASAN MURATOVIC SAYING THERE ARE TOO MANY IRREGULARIES IN REPUBLIKA SPRSKA, FOR INSTANCE WE HAVE MEDIA REPORTS THAT THEY CLAIMED 1,300,000 VOTERS BUT THAT IS RIDICULOUS THEY CAN ONLY HAVE 750,000 (ENGLISH) 2.51 SARAJEVO (SEPTEMBER 15, 1996) (RTV - ACCESS ALL) 12. LV OF SARAJEVO WITH CEMETERY IN FOREGROUND. 2.58 13. SLV ELECTIONS POSTERS IN THE STREETS 3.03 14. LV STREET SCENE 3.06 15. MCU MAN SAYING BOSNIA WILL GET THE SAME GOVERNMENT AND PARLIAMENT, EVERYTHING WILL STAY THE SAME (ENGLISH) 3.18 16. MCU MAN SAYING THERE CAN BE NO PROGRESS WITH THE NATIONALIST PARTIES IN POWER, THEY ARE UNWILLING TO COMPROMISE (SERBO-CROAT) 3.27 17. SLV IMPLEMENTATION FORCE (IFOR) SOLDIERS GUARDING COUNTING CENTRE 3.31 18. SV BALLOT BAGS BEING EMPTIED/ ELECTION OFFICIALS COUNTING BALLOTS (5 SHOTS) 4.06 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
- Embargoed: 29th September 1996 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: SARAJEVO, MOSTAR AND BANJA LUKA, BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA
- City:
- Country: Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Reuters ID: LVADWRI7W7ARI27THXBLBDYB7Q3P
- Story Text: INTRO: The vote-counting in Bosnia's election has begun, with organisers claiming that the poll went smoothly despite claims by Bosnian Moslems that they would not recognise results from Bosnian Serb areas.
-------------------------------------------------------------------- International mediators, relieved by a peaceful vote in Bosnia's first post-war general elections, vowed on Sunday (September 15) to press on with nation-building despite Moslem claims of political foul play by Serbs.
The Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) which administered the elections said the preliminary turnout was 60-70 per cent of the 2.9 million electorate.
The OSCE estimated that only 20,000 Moslem refugees ventured into hostile Serb territory to vote in their old homes despite tight security by North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) peacekeepers.
Voters were electing a three-man Bosnian presidency from each of the Moslem, Serb and Croat communities and national and regional representatives under a plan for the country's reunification.
Late on Saturday (September 14) President Alija Izetbegovic's Party of Democratic Action (SDA) announced at the close of polling they would not recognise results of the Bosnian Serb vote.
Their announcement followed a pledge by Serb hardliners to participate in the presidency despite having campaigned on a separatist platform.
But Robert Frowick, chief of the OSCE mission, which organised the elections, said the first post-war exercise in democracy in the country was "almost entirely free of abuse".
Regarding the SDA complaint, Frowick told reporters: "All parties came into these elections knowing that conditions would not be perfect." He said he was surprised by the SDA's move but added that it would be dealt with by the OSCE's electional appeals subcommission in a ruling within 72 hours.
Bosnian Prime Minister Hasan Muratovic told reporters that the concerns expressed by the SDA centred on the number of Bosnian Serbs eligible to vote. He said that far more Bosnian Serbs voted than were eligible.
As the vote-counting got underway in earnest on Sunday, some people in Sarajevo appeared resigned that the election would not change anything.
"Bosnians will get the same government and parliament; everything will stay the same," said one man.
Another man said that there can be no progress because the nationalist parties were unwilling to compromise.
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