Longtime Republika Srpska leader Milorad Dodik has finally named his candidate for the November 23rd presidential elections. Dodik can’t stand himself after a court conviction—and exclusion in August from office.
In his place, the ruling Alliance of Independent Social Democrats (SNSD) will put forward Siniša Karan, Dodik’s close ally and current Minister for Scientific and Technological Development and Higher Education.
Attending the International Forum on Global Economy and Politics in Russia, Dodik confirmed
We will propose this to our coalition partners, and our nominee will be the Minister for Scientific and Technological Development and Higher Education of Republika Srpska, Siniša Karan. We need to reach an agreement on that.
The Central Election Commission called early elections following Dodik’s conviction for non-compliance with the rulings of the international envoy overseeing Bosnia’s 1995 peace accords.
Dodik has dismissed the court’s ruling, describing it as a “political” trial and a “blow” to Republika Srpska, which he says was “orchestrated by the European Union.” He continues to reject the authority of High Representative Christian Schmidt, calling his appointment “illegal” because it was not approved by the UN Security Council.
As previously reported, the Republika Srpska government recently underwent a major reshuffle after Prime Minister Radovan Višković resigned on August 18th, leaving Dodik to guide the entity through escalating tensions with Sarajevo and international institutions. Dodik had called for a “national unity government” to ensure stability.
