Only 25 candidates provided election programs, best results by NS, SDP, SDS and SBiH
UG „Zašto ne“ contacted local election 2012 candidates for the position of municipality mayor to provide the “Istinomjer” initiative their election programs. The call included all political parties and independent candidates. 491 political subjects were contacted from the official confirmed Central election commission list, including 16 candidates from independent lists and 85 independent candidates, 330 political party candidates and 62 coalition candidates.
However, only 29 candidates responded, two did not contain an election program. Out of the remaining 27 replies, 19 contained election programs and 6 contained election promises and plans for the mandate period of 2012 – 2016. In 2 cases, local political party offices delivered election programs although they did not have candidates for municipal elections, therefore these two programs are not included for monitoring by the local “istinomjer” project.
Political parties, coalitions, independent lists, and independent candidates which provided election programs include:
1) Lejla Somun-Krupalija, Naša stranka (Centar Sarajevo)
2) Arijana Aganović, Naša stranka (Stari grad Sarajevo)
3) Sabina Ćudić, Naša stranka (Novo Sarajevo)
4) Ajla Šišić, Naša stranka (Novi grad Sarajevo)
5) Ilija Tomić, Naša stranka (Kotor Varoš)
6) Amra Mehmedbegović-Živanović, SDP BiH (Travnik)
7) Ermin Hajder, SDP BiH (Bosanski Petrovac)
8) Ernest Đonko, SDP BiH (Stolac)
9) Obren Petrović, SDS (Doboj)
10) Drago Bundalo, SDS (Kostajnica)
11) Abid Šarić, SBiH (Hadžići)
12) Osman Hopić, SBiH (Doboj Jug)
13) Emdžad Galijašević, SDA (Bihać)
14) Brano Šurkić, HDZ BIH (Vareš)
15) Milutin Pejić, SDP RS (Banja Luka)
16) Guberac Dragan, HSP Herceg-Bosne (Odžak)
17) Ninoslav Sušilović, Posavska stranka (Orašje)
18) Mihajlo Tovirac, Nezavisna stranka Dr.Mihajlo Tovirac (Šamac)
19) Radosav Živković, Movement for Pale (Pale)
20) Nikola Bilić, Croatian coalition for Jajce HDZ 1990 – HKDU (Jajce)
21) Ivan Fofić, Croatian coalition for Prozor-Rama HSP BiH – HSS S. Radić (Prozor-Rama)
22) Matija Marjanović, independent candidate (Vitez)
23) Amir Hadžić, independent candidate (Bihać)
24) Munib Alibegović, independent candidate (Visoko)
25) Damjan Pajić Micin, independend candidate (Bijeljina)
Naša Stranka provided election programs for all 5 candidates. SDP provided only 3 programs out of a total of 57 candidates, SBiH provided 2 programs from a total of 25 candidates, SDS also provided 2 programs from a total of 49 candidates, SDA provided one program from a total of 51 candidates, HDZ also provided one program from a total of 31 candidates. All other political parties and coalitions delivered only one program and out of a total of 85 independent candidates, 4 provided a program.
SNSD, who in the previous mandate had the largest number of municipal mayors (40 out of 143) and had 72 candidates for election, did not provide a program for any of the candidates. Other than SNSD, the remaining parties included in parliaments from state to entity and cantonal level did not provide a program for their candidates:
NSRZB (Narodna stranka “Radom za boljitak”)
SBB BiH (Savez za bolju budućnost)
PDP (Partija demokratskog progresa)
DNS (Demokratski narodni savez)
SP RS (Socijalistička partija Republike Srpske)
DP (Demokratska partija)
DNZ (Demokratska narodna zajednica)
A-SDA (Stranka demokratske aktivnosti)
LDS (Liberalno-demokratska stranka)
BOSS (Bosanska stranka)
SDU (Socijaldemokratska unija)
Stranka penzionera
BPS (Bosansko-hercegovačka patriotska stranka)
HNZ (Hrvatska narodna zajednica)
NDS (Narodna demokratska stranka)
SRS RS (Srpska radikalna stranka Republike Srpske)
Percentage wise, out of a total of 548 candidates for mayor, programs and election promises for the 2012 – 2016 mandate was provided by only 4,56%. The number of parliamentary parties that did not provide a program is larger than the number of parties that provided a program for at least one candidate.
It can be concluded that a vast majority of candidates either does not have an election program or doesn’t deem they should be presented to the wider public, leaving a negative impression for the sense of political responsibility towards the public from who they seek votes and confidence.
This result shows that political parties do not give enough importance to election programs when communicating with the public and voters, even during the election campaign period. Voters should punish such attitudes by political parties by not voting for candidates who do not have a program that can be monitored and evaluated during the 2012 – 2016 mandate.