Bosnia's Serb-majority entity began voting Sunday to elect a replacement for its ousted president, Milorad Dodik, who was removed for defying Bosnia's international peace envoy.
Dodik was expelled from office in August after being convicted for ignoring decisions issued by the international official responsible for upholding the peace agreement that has kept Bosnia together since the 1990s inter-ethnic war.
The early election in Republika Srpska (RS) — one of Bosnia's two semi-autonomous entities alongside the Bosniak-Croat Federation — means the winner will serve for less than a year before general elections in October 2026. The vote is seen as a key test of support for Dodik's nationalist party, which has held power for nearly 20 years.
Around 1.2 million voters are eligible to choose among six candidates, though two front-runners dominate the race.
Sinisa Karan, 63, a former interior minister, is Dodik's close ally and chosen successor from the ruling Union of Independent Social Democrats (SNSD).
The main opposition party, the Serb Democratic Party (SDS), is fielding Branko Blanusa, a 56-year-old electrical engineering professor who has repeatedly accused Dodik and his party of corruption.
The election follows years of escalating tensions between High Representative Christian Schmidt and Dodik, which analysts say pushed Bosnia into its most severe political crisis since the 1992–1995 war.
Earlier this year, Dodik was convicted and banned from public office for six years for defying Schmidt's decisions. After months of resistance, the Kremlin-friendly leader abruptly accepted his removal in October. Shortly afterward, the United States lifted sanctions on Dodik and several associates, including Karan, that had been in place since 2017.
On the campaign trail, Karan has been promoted as the candidate who will continue Dodik's political legacy. At a final rally Thursday, Dodik — who has called Bosnia an "impossible country" — vowed that the push for RS statehood would continue: "Our vision is freedom, and there is no freedom without a state," he said in Banja Luka.
Blanusa argues the opposite, saying Dodik's policies threaten the entity's future and accusing him of enriching himself at RS's expense.
Historian and diplomat Slobodan Soja said the two main contenders lack real ideological differences, describing both as "unpopular, selfish, and irresponsible." Despite stepping aside, Soja said Dodik remains dominant: "His power is intact and will only grow as long as he leads the party."
In Banja Luka, voter enthusiasm appeared low. Many residents expressed resignation toward politics.
Milica Djuric, a single mother earning 1,000 convertible marks ($589) a month, said she would vote but had little hope for change: "I'd like the politicians to live on this salary and see how we live."
Retail worker Dragan Savic shared her pessimism: "I will vote but expect nothing. My generation could get ahead through hard work, but now everything depends on connections."
Polling stations opened at 0600 GMT and will close 12 hours later.
