Bosnia’s electoral authorities have stripped Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik of his presidency after a state-level appeals chamber upheld a six-year political ban. The decision comes despite Dodik’s claims that the verdict is “null and void.”
Dodik, who holds the office of president of the Republika Srpska (RS), one of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s main administrative units, was sentenced to a six-year ban from politics for anti-constitutional conduct. The Central Electoral Committee, or CIK, has opened the procedure under electoral law of removing him from office and calling snap elections in the RS within 90 days.
Dodik can appeal the electoral body’s decision and has vowed to stay on as entity president regardless of CIK’s dismissal. His legal representatives have announced he will also open a separate case against the original ruling in front of the state-level Constitutional Court.
The EU’s diplomatic service has stated that the Court of BiH’s verdict is binding and must be respected, calling on all parties to acknowledge the independence and impartiality of the court. Dodik has received support from Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, and Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova.
The six-year ban was triggered by a late February ruling by the Sarajevo-based Court of BiH over anti-constitutional conduct. The crisis began months ago when Dodik repeatedly rejected the verdict, which he claims is null and void.
Dodik’s challenge to the High Representative and state-level institutions’ authority has been deemed his biggest test of post-war stability. The EU has pledged its support for Bosnia’s territorial integrity, with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte vowing to maintain the alliance’s commitment to the region’s stability.
A general election in Bosnia is set for autumn 2026, which may further exacerbate the ongoing political crisis.
Source: https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2025/08/06/electoral-authorities-strip-bosnian-serb-leader-milorad-dodik-of-presidency-after-court-ba