NEWS WATCH: Bosnia Votes for Future of Divided Nation (Update)

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By Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Europe Bureau Chief

SARAJEVO/BUDAPEST (Worthy News)-- Voters in Bosnia-Herzegovina have begun casting ballots in general elections that are seen as crucial for the future of the fractured nation where politicians seek membership in the European Union (EU) and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). There are international concerns the country will fall apart along ethnic lines.

Almost 15 years after Bosnia's ethnic war ended, Muslims, Croats and Serbs have begun voting in elections that at least some hope will increase cooperation in the fractured nation.

Muja Avdic, a Muslim, regrets that Bosnia remains divided along ethnic lines. "The war is over but the people of Bosnia do not see any improvement," he said. The different nationalities of Bosnia, he added, are "not even able to construct a highway while that is of life importance." This way, Avdic adds, "the economy will never improve." And it's only because in his words "politicians want to press people with their opinions and personal interests. The country is not functioning."

Underscoring the complexity of the state are several ballot decisions. Voters will choose a presidency, with one representative for each of the country's three nationalities, and a central parliament.

Additionally, voters are asked to choose assemblies for Bosnia's two entities, known as the Muslim-Croat Federation and the Serbs' Republika Srpska. In Republic Srpska people also elect a president while in the Muslim-Croat Federation voters choose district parliaments.

NEW LEADERSHIP URGED

The international community, which monitors Sunday's vote, has urged politicians and voters to bring new leadership that will work to strengthen central institutions, a key condition for Bosnia to join the European Union.

But the popular prime minister of Republika Srpska Milorad Dodik, who is running for president, does not want to give up autonomy to a national government and even favors full independence for his Serb entity.

Dodik told a campaign rally this week that his government supports the text of the U.S. brokered Dayton peace agreement that ended the Bosnian war, sparked by the break up of Yugoslavia, but not in the way Muslims want. He said Muslims use it to, in his words, "break Republika Srpska." Dodik made clear he sees no long-term future for Bosnia. He denied seeking conflicts but the prime minister admitted that his political program says: "The Serbian Republic always, but Bosnia-Herzegovina as long as necessary."

However EU and U.S. leaders point out that cooperation between the different ethnic communities is crucial, also to overcome a major economic crisis in the country, where statistics show over 40 percent of people are unemployed.

Bosnia's more than three million voters can decide the future of their former Yugoslav republic at over 5,000 polling stations.