2025 Republika Srpska presidential election

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2025 Republika Srpska presidential election
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Candidate Siniša Karan Branko Blanuša
Party SNSD SDS
Incumbent President

Milorad Dodik (disputed)
SNSD



Early presidential elections are scheduled to be held in Republika Srpska, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina on 23 November 2025. The elections were announced by the Central Election Commission of Bosnia and Herzegovina after the premature removal of then-President of Republika Srpska Milorad Dodik from office by the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina on 12 June 2025. [1] Dodik and his party, the Alliance of Independent Social Democrats, rejected the court's decision and initially refused to take part in the election. [2] However, the party later confirmed that it will participate. [3]

Contents

Background

In February 2025, Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik was convicted by the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina in a first-instance verdict and was sentenced to one year imprisonment, and was also banned from performing the duties of the president of Republika Srpska for six years due to anti-constitutional conduct. [4] Dodik refused to recognize the ruling and introduced laws barring federal law enforcement agencies from operating in Republika Srpska, prompting the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina to issue arrest warrants against him and other senior officials of Republika Srpska in March 2025. [5]

On 4 July 2025, Dodik voluntarily appeared before the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina. [6] The hearing was conducted following a motion submitted by the Prosecutor's Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Acting upon the motion, the Court issued a decision revoking the previously ordered arrest warrant against Dodik, replacing it with a precautionary measure only requiring him to report periodically to a designated state authority. [7]

On 1 August 2025, the first-instance verdict against Dodik from February of that year was confirmed by the court's Appellate panel. [8] On 6 August, the Central Election Commission of Bosnia and Herzegovina ordered Dodik's removal as president of Republika Srpska, a decision which would take effect after an appeals period expired. [9] On 12 August, the Bosnian state court commuted his one year prison sentence to a fine of 36,500 Bosnian marks. [10] On 18 August, Dodik's appeal against the decision of the Central Election Commission was rejected and his mandate as Republika Srpska president was officially terminated, with the termination date marked as 12 June 2025, due to the Bosnian state court's verdict becoming legally binding on that day. [11] [12] The National Assembly of Republika Srpska rejected the court's decision and supported Dodik as the president. [13]

Candidates

The Central Election Commission announced that early presidential elections will be held on 23 November 2025. [1]

Dodik, who is also the leader of the Alliance of Independent Social Democrats (SNSD), the largest party in the entity, said that the SNSD would not participate in the election. [2] He later changed his stance, stating that there is "no problem with the SNSD having a candidate in the elections." [14] The SNSD eventually confirmed that it will participate in the election, [3] and on 30 September, Dodik announced that Siniša Karan will be its candidate in the election. [15]

The largest opposition party, the Serb Democratic Party (SDS) supported the participation in the election. Minor opposition leaders, Jelena Trivić of the People's Front and Nebojša Vukanović of For Justice and Order, announced that they would support the SDS candidate in the election. [16] On 28 September 2025, the SDS announced the candidacy of Branko Blanuša, a university professor, for president of Republika Srpska. [17]

Draško Stanivuković, the leader of the second largest opposition party, the Party of Democratic Progress (PDP), said his party would also boycott the election, [18] and reiterated this position after both the SNSD and the SDS announced their candidates. [19]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Prijevremeni izbori za predsjednika RS 23. novembra" [Early election for the president of Republika Srpska on 23 November]. N1 (in Serbo-Croatian). Sarajevo. Retrieved 28 August 2025.
  2. 1 2 "Dodik kaže da njegova stranka neće na prijevremene izbore za predsjednika RS" [Dodik says that his party will not participate in the election for the president of Republika Srpska]. Večernji list (in Croatian). Zagreb. 28 August 2025. Retrieved 30 August 2025.
  3. 1 2 Be., D. (28 September 2025). "Do kada će Dodik lagati ljude u oči, a oni mu vjerovati? Prije mjesec je tvrdio da SNSD neće ni izaći na izbore". Klix (in Bosnian). Sarajevo. Retrieved 28 September 2025.
  4. ↑ "Bosnia Serb leader Dodik found guilty of defying peace envoy". France 24 . 26 February 2025. Retrieved 26 February 2025.
  5. ↑ "Bosnia issues new nationwide arrest warrant for Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik". Euronews . 17 March 2025. Retrieved 23 March 2025.
  6. ↑ A.Ku. (4 July 2025). "Dodik se sa Bubićem u Tužilaštvu BiH pojavio danas iza 14:00 sati" (in Bosnian). Klix.ba. Retrieved 4 July 2025.
  7. ↑ "Dodik dao iskaz u Tužilaštvu BiH, ukinuti mu pritvor i potjernica". N1 (in Bosnian). 4 July 2025. Retrieved 4 July 2025.
  8. ↑ "Milorad Dodik convicted: Appeals Court confirms one-year sentence and political ban". N1. 1 August 2025. Retrieved 1 August 2025.
  9. ↑ "Separatist Bosnian Serb leader Dodik removed from office". Al Jazeera . 6 August 2025. Retrieved 6 August 2025.
  10. ↑ Melez, Selma (12 August 2025). "Bosnian Court Commutes Milorad Dodik's Jail Sentence to a Fine". Balkan Insight.
  11. ↑ "Milorad Dodik više nije predsjednik Republike Srpske, Sud BiH odbio njegovu žalbu". Klix. 18 August 2025.
  12. ↑ "Pročitajte kompletnu odluku Suda BiH: Ovo je presuda - Milorad Dodik više nije predsjednik RS". radiosarajevo.ba (in Bosnian). 18 August 2025. Retrieved 18 August 2025.
  13. ↑ "NSRS raspisala referendum i odbacila presude protiv Dodika" (in Croatian). Mostar: Bljesak.info. Retrieved 23 August 2025.
  14. ↑ "SNSD odlučio da izlazi na izbore, Dodik poručio: Nisam rođen da doživotno budem predsjednik". Klix.ba (in Bosnian). Retrieved 29 September 2025.
  15. ↑ "Dodik otkrio ko će biti kandidat SNSD-a za predsjednika Srpske" [Dodik revealed who will be the SNSD's candidate for the president of Republika Srpska]. Faktor magazin (in Serbian). Banja Luka. 30 September 2025. Retrieved 30 September 2025.
  16. ↑ Knežević, Boris (28 August 2025). "Prijevremeni izbori za predsjednika RS 23. novembra" [What is the opposition waiting for: Dodik and SNSD are ready for the election, in SDS there are too many cooks in the kitchen]. Srpska.info (in Serbian). Banja Luka. Retrieved 28 August 2025.
  17. ↑ S., S. (28 September 2025). "Ko je Branko Blanuša, kandidat SDS-a za predsjednika RS: Profesor i bivši dekan ETF-a u Banjoj Luci" (in Bosnian). Dnevni avaz . Retrieved 28 September 2025.
  18. ↑ Knežević, Boris (9 September 2025). "Pojas za spasavanje: Rasturena opozicija u klinču s "nabildanim" Dodikom" [Lifebuoy: Dispersed opposition in the clinch with "bulky" Dodik]. Srpska.info (in Serbian). Banja Luka. Retrieved 9 September 2025.
  19. ↑ Gušić, Mersad (1 October 2025). "Šta očekivati od izbora za predsjednika RS-a i koji su mogući scenariji" [What to expect from the presidential election in Republika Srpska and what are the possible scenarios]. Klix.ba (in Bosnian). Sarajevo. Retrieved 1 October 2025.
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