Bosnia election pits unity against Serb autonomy

Bosnia is voting in general elections on Sunday after years of political turmoil and stalled reforms, with campaigns shaped by ethnic divisions rooted in the country's 1990s war.

Voters will choose officials across several layers of government under the system created after the 1995 peace deal. The key contest is for the tripartite presidency, which is split between Bosniaks, Serbs and Croats.

The race has set rival visions against each other: a more united state, greater autonomy for the Serb-run Republika Srpska and demands from Croat parties for more political representation.

Milorad Dodik, the former president of Republika Srpska, is not on the ballot after being convicted of overstepping his powers and banned from the presidency for six years. He remains a central figure in the entity, where Savo Minic, backed by Dodik, faces opposition candidate Branko Blanusa in the race for the RS presidency.

Researcher Adnan Cerimagic of the European Stability Initiative said it was "not impossible" for Blanusa to win and said Dodik's camp could not be certain of victory for its candidate. He also said biometric identification and the scanning of paper ballots at thousands of polling stations could affect the result.

In the Muslim-Croat federation, Bosniak parties are pushing for a stronger central state. Incumbent Bosniak presidency member Denis Becirovic has pledged a renewed path toward the European Union and NATO.

Croat nationalist parties are seeking electoral reform, saying Croats should have a greater say in choosing the Croat member of the presidency in the federation they share with the more numerous Bosniaks.

Polls are due to open at 7:00 am local time and close 12 hours later.