SARAJEVO — Preliminary results from Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Sunday general election showed nationalist parties capturing the three ethnic seats of the country’s collective presidency, with allies of barred Serb secessionist Milorad Dodik declaring a sweeping win, Deutsche Welle, The Guardian and Radio Free Europe reported.
With counting nearly finished, Serb nationalist Željka Cvijanović, Bosniak Social Democrat Denis Bećirović and Croat nationalist Darijana Filipović led their respective presidential races. Cvijanović, backed by Dodik’s Alliance of Independent Social Democrats, was reported with about 55.6 percent; Bećirović around 38 percent; Filipović about 48 percent. Election officials and wire services described turnout as among the lowest in the postwar period, with overall participation reported in the low-to-mid 40 percent range depending on the tally cited.
Dodik, barred from public office for six years after being convicted of defying the international high representative who oversees the 1995 Dayton peace framework, told supporters in Banja Luka that SNSD had retained the Serb seat in the presidency and strengthened its hold on Republika Srpska’s institutions. He thanked Russian President Vladimir Putin and credited “Donald Trump’s magnificent victory” for what he called a more favorable geopolitical environment.
Voters also chose lawmakers for the national parliament and for the two largely autonomous entities — the Bosniak-Croat Federation and Serb-majority Republika Srpska — under a constitutional order that allocates power by ethnicity. Multi-ethnic opposition coalitions failed to break the grip of ethnonationalist machines. EU officials have repeatedly said membership talks hinge on judicial independence and anti-corruption reforms that dominant parties have delayed for years.
Complex coalition talks mean forming governments could take months. Bećirović has pledged to revive the EU and NATO accession path; Dodik continues to call Bosnia “an impossible country” and to seek closer ties with Serbia and Russia. International envoys urged calm as results firmed Monday, warning that post-election brinkmanship in Republika Srpska could again test the Dayton settlement.
Sources: Deutsche Welle, The Guardian, Radio Free Europe
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