Sarajevo  - Bosnia-Herzegovina's Election Commission announced Thursday local elections and called on political parties and independent candidates to register for the elections.

The elections for municipal authorities across Bosnia-Herzegovina, will be held on October 5, according to the commission's chairman Suad Arnautovic.

He told reporters in Sarajevo that the commission had set a May 23 deadline for political parties and independent candidates to register for Bosnia's 2008 local elections.

A total of 244 political parties have been officially registered in the country, but a smaller number is expected to actually run for the elections.

More than 2.9 million Bosnia-Herzegovina's citizens are expected to cast their ballots at polling stations.

The commission also plans to set up voting stations for Bosnian citizens living abroad.

The vote will be held at Bosnia-Herzegovina's diplomatic missions in 25 countries in the world with an undetermined number of eligible voters there.

Local elections in Bosnia-Herzegovina should cost 11 million convertible marks (8.4 million dollars) and be funded from the state budget and from the municipalities' budgets, Arnautovic said. (dpa)