Today, the citizens of Bugojno expressed their support for an initiative to hold elections for local community councils by signing a petition that gathered 201 signatures. These elections have not been held since 2017. The issue directly affects citizens’ ability to elect their representatives at the lowest level of local self-government and participate in decision-making processes concerning the needs and challenges of their neighborhoods. The collection of signatures represents the first step toward launching a citizens’ initiative that will call on the Municipality of Bugojno and the Municipal Council of Bugojno to undertake concrete measures to create the conditions necessary for announcing and conducting local community council elections.

The public information and signature-gathering campaign took place at Sultan Ahmed Street Square and in front of Bugojno Gymnasium as part of the “Choose Your Local Community” campaign, implemented by the Youth Center Association Bugojno.

During the campaign, 201 signatures were collected, demonstrating significant public interest in re-establishing elections for local community councils and encouraging more active citizen participation in local decision-making processes. Citizens emphasized during discussions that they want the opportunity to elect individuals who will represent the interests of their neighborhoods and serve as a link between residents and local authorities.

Local communities represent the form of local self-government closest to citizens and serve as an important mechanism through which residents can articulate their needs, propose solutions, and participate in defining the development priorities of their communities. For this reason, participants in the campaign highlighted the importance of holding elections and increasing citizen involvement in decision-making processes that directly affect the quality of life in local communities.

“Local communities should be places where citizens can clearly express their needs, proposals, and concerns. After almost nine years without elections, we believe the time has come to once again enable citizens to elect their representatives and actively participate in shaping the development priorities of their communities,” representatives of the Youth Center Association Bugojno stated.

The collection of signatures will continue in the coming period to allow as many citizens as possible to support this initiative. Once the campaign is completed, the signatures will be officially submitted to the Municipality of Bugojno and forwarded to the Municipal Council of Bugojno in order to initiate a citizens’ initiative in accordance with the Statute of the Municipality of Bugojno.

Through the “Choose Your Local Community” campaign, organizers seek to draw the attention of both the public and decision-makers to the importance of local communities as a fundamental mechanism for direct citizen participation in local self-government, while promoting greater citizen involvement in local decision-making processes.