SARAJEVO, Oct 4 (Reuters) - Bosnians voted on Sunday in elections which could impact their European Union membership bid and the influence that the United States and Russia seek over the small Balkan nation.
Voters were casting ballots for the country's central tripartite presidency and national parliament, alongside regional legislative races in its two federal entities.
Voter frustration has grown over an economic slowdown, the slow pace of EU entry talks and a lingering political crisis in which
the ethnically based dominant parties from the two entities have repeatedly stalled decisions by the weak central government that links them.
Bosnia secured EU candidate status in December 2022 and the green light to open accession negotiations in 2024, but actual talks have not started because domestic political leaders have yet to enact core requirements such as bolstering judicial oversight and passing anti-corruption laws.
Preliminary results are expected to be released by the Central Election Commission later on Sunday after polls close at 7 p.m. (1700 GMT).
EU MEMBERSHIP GOAL
Bosnia, the former Yugoslavia's most ethnically mixed republic, has struggled to recover since its bloody 1992-95 war.
The conflict ended with the 1995 US-brokered Dayton peace accord, which divided the country along ethnic lines into the Serb-dominated Republika Srpska and the Bosniak-Croat Federation — linked by the central government.
Voters say they want to move beyond the divisive rhetoric, but the politics appears stuck. Candidates rarely campaign beyond their core geographical base in the country of 3.4 million people.
The vote pits rival ethnic parties — the Bosniak SDA, Serb SNSD and Croat HDZ BiH — against multi-ethnic opposition coalitions led by the Social Democratic Party.
According to tracking platform Poliwave, the SDA holds a narrow national lead with 21.4%, followed by the SDP on 16.7%.
If ethnically based parties prevail and continue their bickering within the central government, which would be the body that would eventually officially join the EU, progress on accession is likely to further stall.
US AND RUSSIAN INFLUENCE
Meanwhile, in Republika Srpska, SNSD, the party run by secessionist leader Milorad Dodik, who wants close ties with Serbia and Russia, is ahead with 34.2%.
Major powers have long sought influence over Bosnia. The EU is seeking to expand its membership across the Balkans, including Bosnia, but Russia is slowing it down, maintaining its support of the Republika Srpska.
The US has also sought to gain influence and wants to push for a $1.5 billion pipeline project to import US liquefied natural gas, run by a company with links to the Trump administration.
The EU warned that the company selection lacked the required competitive transparency.
Washington has also clashed with Brussels over the role of the international High Representative, who, under provisions of the Dayton accord, enforces the laws. Christian Schmidt, a former German government minister, resigned in May under pressure from the US.
(Writing by Aleksandar Vasovic; reporting by Branko Filipovic in Sarajevo and Fedja Grulovic in Banja Luka; Editing by Alison Williams)
