Elections are a sovereign matter and it is unacceptable that this process in Bosnia and Herzegovina is overseen by an international institution, Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik said on Saturday.

“Elections are one of the most sovereign matters. Elections are a matter of domestic processes, but we have a practice that some institutions, like those from the US, will have an insight into the list of voters, the financing of political parties, the use of public resources… through a possibly signed agreement,” Dodik told reporters in Laktasi, a town near Banja Luka, the administrative centre of the Serb-dominated entity Republika Srpska (RS).

“That's the first step towards full control over the election process, with an aim to manipulate with the will of people, which is unacceptable,” he added.

According to the Serb member of Bosnia's tripartite Presidency, the US-based National Democratic Institute (NDI) is behind that plan and the organisation is the “political sponsor of (the opposition parties) SDS and PDP.”

He said all political parties in this part of Bosnia, except the SDS and PDP, strongly object the idea.

“The final decision is on the RS National Assembly. I'm not against the improvements in the election process but the first thing to do is making the mandates available to political parties, not individuals. I asked for a special session of the National Assembly and I expect it to be held on 7 or 8 September,” said Dodik, the leader of the ruling SNSD party.

Bosnia will see a local vote on November 15, as set by the Central Election Commission. The elections will take place across the country, in both of its semi-autonomous regions — Serb-majority Republika Srpska and Bosniak-Croat shared Federation, as well as Brcko District.