All sides claim victory in Bosnia

OSCE workers counting the votes

By Alix Kroeger in Sarajevo

As counting continues in Bosnia's parliamentary elections, all parties are claiming victory.

No official results have yet been released although the opposition Social Democrats appear to have done well in the Muslim Croat Federation, while in Bosnian Serb areas, the hardline nationalist, SDS, is expected to win.

Meanwhile, the President of the Croat Nationalist Party, the HDZ, has said he no longer recognises the authority of the international community in Bosnia.

The HDZ organised an illegal referendum on the status of Croats within Bosnia and is likely to be penalised by the OSCE, the European Security Organisation which is organising Bosnia's elections.

Bosnian Serbs celebrate

The first official results not due until late on Monday afternoon.

In Pale, the wartime capital of the Bosnia Serbs, the nationalist SDS, is already celebrating.

In the Muslim Croat Federation, the multi-ethnic Social Democrats are likely to emerge as the largest single party although they may fall short of an absolute majority.

The head of the OSCE mission in Bosnia, Robert Barry, warned the HDZ not to attempt to create a separate Croat mini-state.

Alleged irregularities

Mr Parry said the HDZ leader, Ante Jelavic, was out in the cold, as the only leader who didn't fully embrace the Dayton peace accords.

The OSCE is investigating alleged irregularities in voting in the Bosnian Serb town of Srebrenica where the SDS is alleged to have forced some people to vote two or even three time.

On the whole though Mr. Barry congratulated the voters of Bosnia saying they'd exceeded the expectations of their politicians.