SARAJEVO — Bosnia’s Serb Republic will appoint an interim president on Saturday, marking the first official acknowledgment that longtime leader Milorad Dodik will step aside following a state court ban on his political activities. The regional parliament said on Friday that the interim leader will serve for one month before fresh presidential elections scheduled for November 23. The short tenure raised questions since the Serb Republic already has two vice-presidents empowered to perform presidential duties.
In February, Bosnia’s state court sentenced the Moscow-aligned Dodik to a year in prison or a fine, and barred him from political life for six years after he defied decisions of the international peace envoy overseeing the 1995 Dayton peace accords. Those accords ended the country’s brutal three-year war, which left about 100,000 people dead and displaced some 2 million. Despite the ruling, Dodik continued to exercise presidential authority and travel abroad in an official capacity while appealing the verdict before Bosnia’s constitutional court. His political camp now faces a leadership transition that comes amid renewed scrutiny over his secessionist ambitions and ties with Russia.
Unconfirmed reports in local media named Zeljka Cvijanovic, the Serb member of Bosnia’s state tripartite presidency, as a potential interim replacement. However, legal experts warned that her appointment could violate constitutional provisions forbidding individuals from holding two executive offices at once. Such a move would also paralyze the functioning of Bosnia’s state presidency until her successor is chosen. Neither Dodik’s cabinet nor the Serb Republic parliament has issued an explanation for the interim arrangement.
Cvijanovic did not comment when reached by reporters. Dodik’s ruling party, the Alliance of Independent Social Democrats (SNSD), has nominated regional minister Sinisa Karan as its candidate for the November presidential election, signaling continuity within the party’s leadership pipeline