Beyond elections: Lessons in democratization assistance from post-war Bosnia and Herzegovina

This analysis is based on a comparative study of democratization assistance to political parties in four central Bosnian municipalities in which the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) worked. Through extensive interviews and analyses of electoral data, it was concluded that assistance beyond elections is necessary to facilitate the development of political parties consistent with a democratic political system. Among the findings relevant for theories of political transition and for post-conflict peace-building operations are: political parties that are democratic in both character and name must precede the first post-conflict democratic elections; a more developmental approach to democratization assistance that enhances the behaviors, attitudes, and the constitutional aspects of democracy is more effective, while election- and institution-focused approaches that pay little attention to underlying capabilities and power relationships were less effective. The limited institution-building approach failed because the new institutions exercised no real power; power remained in the hands of the ruling nationalist parties. International support for removing obstructionists from office, marginalizing anti-democratic parties, building trust and tolerance, and improving capabilities of parties were more effective approaches for building a democratic political culture. The conclusion offers policy guidance for future post-conflict peace-building operations drawn from this study, with reference to the experiences of other post-conflict countries.