Why vote for municipality leadership?
A large chunk of our people do not exercise a major democratic right to vote. Voting is crucial in ensuring that our voices are represented in government. Deciding to abstain from voting means not taking the personal responsibility to participate in organizing the society of our homeland.
Many among us were driven from our homes in an effort to remove our impact in our country. Representation through the ballot is fundamental for the democratic society we aspire Bosnia to become.
Selecting candidates that work towards an agenda to help lift Bosnia out of the years of political and economic stagnation that our nation has been in. As members that live abroad we have an interest in our homeland improving.
Especially if I don’t live there??
The Statistics
Past statistics uncover a consistent trend occurring in Bosnian elections: lower voter turnout among voters living abroad. In 2002, there were 170,942 Bosnians that voted abroad. Fast forward to 2018 only 3,968 Bosnians voted in the general elections. That's a 97% decrease between the two periods for a country that has seen many citizens emigrate.
One vital example to bring up from the 2016 local elections in Bosnia are the results that occurred in Srebrenica. Mladen Grujicic of SNSD defeated Camil Durakovic by a margin of less than 800 votes. Out of the total listed voter base (13.803) only 62.3% of the registered voters. Residents that live in the area are already accounted for within that registered voter base. Residents of Srebrenica that live abroad are not included in this sum.
Less than 1000 votes from people living within and outside of Srebrenica could have been the difference between having a major that denies genocide (Grujicic) and one that survived it (Durakovic). Voters living abroad from areas of the entity “RS” with participation could shake up the restructure of the political status quo in the entity.
Obtaining votes from Bosnians abroad could be a game changer in the political landscape.
What do our votes do?
Given the position of Bosnians in the diaspora we are able to take a look at the situation in the country from an outsider perspective while maintaining emotional attachment. Many of us are free from political pressures to adhere to pressures applied to voting that others face in BiH.
The experiences we draw in from the nations we live in across the world can help bring in ideas in what we should strive for as a society. We are all a byproduct of the surroundings we are in.
One of Bosnia’s most underused assets is the diaspora. Levying this untapped source can lead to spreading new ideas that help develop Bosnia. The diaspora already has such a massive impact on the current economic well being of many Bosnians through the influx of funds sent to relatives, as well as the stimulus brought back from tourism. Bosnia could leverage the potential investment and spread of knowledge with better connections with the diaspora.
How to educate yourself on candidates
Have a conversation with your family living in the areas that are in your jurisdiction.
Learn more about the parties available to you.
Take the time to research about the history of the party and the set of goals of that party.
Devote some time to research more on websites that communicate the daily occurrences in the location you are voting in.
Selecting a candidate isn’t a simple task but it is vital in participating in democracy.