Bosnia Holds Early Republika Srpska Election Amid Political Crisis

Bosnia and Herzegovina's Central Election Commission has scheduled early presidential elections in Republika Srpska for November 23, following the removal of longtime Serb nationalist leader Milorad Dodik from office due to a one-year jail sentence and a six-year ban from public office. Dodik, who has led Republika Srpska since 2006 and remains influential, rejects the rulings and continues to oppose central institutions, planning referendums to challenge his removal and the authority of the international High Representative overseeing the Dayton peace accords. The political crisis has deepened with the resignation of the Republika Srpska Prime Minister and Dodik's efforts to form a national unity government and a wider parliamentary coalition. The OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina has expressed strong support for the Central Election Commission's legal mandate, emphasizing the importance of upholding constitutional order, rule of law, and the peaceful conduct of elections to maintain stability and democracy in the country. The situation is viewed as one of the most serious threats to peace in the Balkans since the 1995 Dayton agreement, with local parliament rejecting both Dodik's verdict and the authority of the international High Representative. The upcoming election represents a critical test for Bosnia's democratic institutions amid ongoing separatist tensions in Republika Srpska.