Over 200,000 Bosnian citizens have gained Serbian citizenship, raising concerns about political influence in upcoming elections.
Serbian citizenship numbers rise
More than 200,000 citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina have obtained Serbian citizenship over the past fifteen years. This increase has drawn attention from political leaders in Republika Srpska, who have expressed support for the Serbian government, leading to concerns about potential political mobilization of these citizens.Voting stations increase for upcoming elections
On October 25, 28 polling stations will be open in Bosnia and Herzegovina, nine more than in the 2023 elections. Nearly 20,000 citizens have registered to vote on-site, which is about 8,000 more than three years ago.Unofficial voter registration efforts reported
According to the Center for Research, Transparency, and Responsibility (CRTA), hundreds of Bosnian citizens have received calls offering to register them on electoral lists outside any legal framework. In one of the recordings published by the organization, an interlocutor explains that it is sufficient to scan an identity card to complete the procedure in a few minutes.Claims of political connections made
Another person claims to have already registered more than a thousand voters. "The people mobilizing voters in this way are linked to the structures in power," estimates Raša Nedeljkov, director of programs at CRTA.
