BOSNIA'S first post war elections are almost certain to go ahead next Saturday despite calls for their postponement and fears that they will not be fully free or fair.
Bosnians in the two entities created by the Dayton accord - Republika Srpski, and the Muslim Croat Federation - will elect separate assemblies and separate political leaders. They will also elect a house of representatives and a three person presidency which will nominally govern the entire state of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The international community hopes that the election will provide enough political stability to pave the way for the rapid withdrawal of the 45,000 Ifor troops (the Nato force established to implement the Dayton accords) who have been in Bosnia since early this year. But many fear that the withdrawal of Ifor could be followed by a resumption of war.
The election outcome is largely a foregone conclusion, with the main Serb, Muslim and Croat parties expected to win comfortably in their respective areas. However, the complex electoral rules could produce a close contest for the position as overall head of the presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with the bizarre prospect that the candidate from the main Serb nationalist party, the SDS, Mr Momcilo Krajisnik, could win.
The current Bosnian president, Mr Alija Izetbegovic, who leads the main Muslim party, the SDA, is certain to be elected to the three person presidency, as is the Bosnian Croat candidate, Mr Kresimir Zubac, and Mr Erajisnik. Whichever of these three wins the highest number of votes will become head of the presidency.
The SDA is worried that because many displaced Bosnian Muslims will cast their votes in their former home areas - now in Republika Srpska - they will not be able to vote for Mr Izetbegovic.
Alarmed at the prospect of a Serb winning the most senior political post, the SDA is calling for the elections to be postponed.