Advertising Read more

Sarajevo (AFP)

Bosnians head to the polls on Sunday to elect leaders who will steer the future of the poor Balkan nation splintered by ethnic divides that fuelled its 1990s war.

The country remains a patchwork of enclaves, with power formally divided among its three main groups: Bosnian Muslims, Serbs and Croats.

While the list of economic woes facing the country is long, many voters say they have lost faith in a political class accused of stoking nationalism to stay in power.

"I think the nationalists will win once again and nothing will change," said Armin Bukaric, a 45-year-old businessman in Sarajevo, echoing a common view on the capital's streets.

The Balkan country's complex political system is a relic of the 1992-95 conflict that saw Muslims, Serbs and Croats turn on each other.

The fighting left 100,000 dead, displaced millions and wrecked the country's economy and infrastructure.

A quarter of a century later, Bosnia is still governed by the peace accord that stopped the war and sliced the country in two semi-autonomous halves -- one dominated by Serbs and the other home to Muslims and Croats.

- 'Depressing' -

On top sits a tripartite presidency that rotates between a Serb, Croat and Muslim member.

One leading candidate for the Serb seat, Milorad Dodik, is a pro-Russian nationalist who regularly dangles the idea of holding a vote on the secession of the country's Serb-dominated half.

Dodik has led that entity -- Republika Srpska -- since 2006 and rarely sets foot in Bosnia's capital Sarajevo, which he terms a hostile "foreign territory".

If he wins, one of his partners in the presidency could be Croat incumbent Dragan Covic, who also advocates drawing deeper communal divisions.

Covic's right-wing HDZ party would like to see the creation of a third entity just for Croats, who currently live in a region with majority Bosnian Muslims (Bosniaks).

Tanja Topic, a political analyst, says the purpose of these "ethno-nationalist" policies is to "maintain the status quo and stagnation" that helps keep such leaders in control.

Ranko Mavrak, a prominent Sarajevo journalist, described the country's political outlook as "depressing".

"We don't see anything on the horizon that would offer some change to the systems and stereotypes that have governed this country for 25 years since the war," he said in a TV interview.

- United by corruption -

While nationalists are trying to widen the gulf between different communities, a shared frustration with government corruption has brought some Bosnians together.

On Friday night it was not a campaign rally but a grassroots protest calling for justice over a young man's death that drew thousands of supporters to Banja Luka, the capital of the Serb-run entity.

The movement started in March and has evolved into a broader protest against police corruption, drawing support from a diverse crowd.

Experts say Bosnia's unwieldy political structure -- with its rival power centres and bloated bureaucracy -- helps graft run wild.

A recent report by Transparency International described corruption as a serious problem in "all levels of government" in Bosnia.

In local elections in 2016, the watchdog reported a range of malpractice, including parties promising jobs in exchange for votes.

Dodik, the Serb presidency candidate, has been openly campaigning on promises to hike the salaries of those who vote for him.

A culture of patronage, in which jobs are handed out on the basis of political connections, is one factor driving soaring emigration in recent years.

Low average wages -- less than 430 euros a month -- and high unemployment -- around one fifth of the population -- are also pushing young people to pack their bags.

"Most young people see their future outside Bosnia," said Zoran Kresic, an analyst.

Hearing these "same stories, messages of war and of the impossibility of living together, demotivates people from staying", he added.

Polls will open from 7am local time (0500 GMT) to 7pm (1700 GMT), with results not expected until late evening.

© 2018 AFP