SARAJEVO, Bosnia and Herzegovina - Milorad Dodik, the former president of Bosnia’s Serb Republic, claimed victory for his party’s candidate, Sinisa Karan, in Sunday’s presidential election. Dodik, speaking at the headquarters of his Alliance of Independent Social Democrats (SNSD), stated, “Our candidate Sinisa karan won today’s election.” The election was held after Dodik himself was removed from office and barred from political activity for six years.
The outcome of the vote in the Bosnian Serb-dominated region is being closely watched as it will indicate whether the area shifts away from Dodik’s long-held nationalist policies or continues down a path of separatist actions that threaten Bosnia and Herzegovina’s stability.
Preliminary results are expected to be announced by the central election commission Sunday night. According to Zeljko Bakalar, a member of the commission, initial figures show a voter turnout of just over 31 percent, with over 1.2 million eligible voters.
Though, the election was not without concerns. Observers from several non-governmental organizations reported irregularities including shortages of voting materials, breaches of the pre-election media silence, restrictions on election monitoring, and alleged pressure on voters.