Bosnia Holding Second Election

Bosnia’s second postwar national election started Saturday with Western powers hoping that voters will ignore the ethnic parties slowing implementation of the 1995 peace agreement.

The first day of weekend balloting was mostly calm, but a few dozen of the more than 2,600 polling stations failed to open after a computer problem prevented officials from having voter lists on hand.

The problem should be solved when voting resumes Sunday, and everyone who registered will be able to cast ballots, said Nicole Szulc, spokeswoman for the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, which is running the election.

Angry crowds gathered to protest the delay at some of the closed polling stations, with one group blocking a road in northern Bosnia. All dispersed when the problem was explained, officials said.