Elections must be held in Mostar this year, said US Ambassador to Bosnia Eric Nelson said, adding that it only remains unclear if the politicians and lawmakers will find a solution for that to happen or if the court will have to intervene.

Speaking to Radio Free Europe, the ambassador said that there was a way to solve this issue in a way that the Parliament adopts necessary laws to make the elections happen in the City of Mostar.

European Court of Human Rights intervened and said it was ridiculous the citizens of Mostar were unable to vote for years, Nelson recalled.

We continue encouraging the dialogue among the parties to reach a necessary compromise and do this, the ambassador said, stressing it was very important that political leaders do not put their narrow political interests above the rights and needs of the citizens of Mostar.

Bosnia’s top electoral authority (CIK) decided on May 7 that local elections will be held across the country on October 4, 2020 – with exception of the southern city of Mostar.

CIK Secretary said the elections in Mostar would be called once the conditions for that are met.

The local elections in the City of Mostar were last held in 2008. Two years later, the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina acted upon motion of Croat representatives in the state Parliament, assessing as unconstitutional parts of the Bosnia’s Election Law which refer to the City of Mostar.

The court tasked the state Parliament in 2010 to amend the Election Law regarding the provisions which treat the electoral rules in that city but this did not happen to date and Mostar elections remain the subject of political disagreements.