Trišić Babić Named Interim President After Dodik Conviction

Republika Srpska’s parliament on Saturday named Ana Trišić Babić interim president after an appeals court upheld the Central Election Commission’s decision to revoke longtime leader Milorad Dodik’s mandate following a conviction that carried a one-year sentence and a six-year ban from holding public office. Trišić Babić will serve until early elections scheduled for Nov. 23. Lawmakers also annulled several separatist laws passed under Dodik that challenged the authority of the international peace envoy and Bosnia’s Constitutional Court. Dodik, a pro‑Russian nationalist who has pushed for Republika Srpska’s secession, continues to contest the rulings and claim presidential powers. The appointment has raised legal and constitutional questions about why an acting president was appointed instead of a vice‑president and comes amid diplomatic moves including the U.S. Treasury’s recent removal of four Dodik allies from its sanctions list.