In a pivotal moment for Bosnia-Herzegovina, voters in the Serb-dominated region of Republika Srpska headed to the polls on Sunday to elect a new president. This snap election follows the removal of Milorad Dodik, the former pro-Russian leader, who was ousted in August after a Bosnian court convicted him of defying the international High Representative for Bosnia. Dodik, who was sentenced to a year in prison and barred from public office, paid a fine to avoid incarceration and remains the leader of his Party of Independent Social Democrats. The election pits Sinisa Karan, Dodik’s chosen successor, against Branko Blanusa, a university professor representing the opposition Serb Democratic Party. Four other candidates are also in the race, though they are considered less competitive. Blanusa, after casting his vote in Banja Luka, emphasized the campaign’s fairness and urged a high voter turnout among the 1.2 million Bosnian Serb electorate. The election unfolds against a backdrop of deep ethnic divisions and political instability. Bosnia’s complex governance structure, established by the 1995 U.S.-brokered Dayton Agreement, divides the country into two entities: Republika Srpska, controlled by Serbs, and a federation shared by Bosniaks and Croats. Dodik, a long-time advocate for Republika Srpska’s secession from Bosnia, has faced international sanctions for his separatist policies. Although the U.S. recently lifted sanctions after Dodik agreed to step down, tensions persist with the international community, particularly with Christian Schmidt, the peace envoy overseeing Bosnia’s post-war stability. Dodik has actively campaigned for Karan, framing the election as a continuation of his political agenda. The outcome of this election could significantly impact Bosnia’s fragile political landscape and its relations with the international community.
Bosnian Serbs vote to choose president after separatist leader Dodik was removed from office
