The campaign for the early presidential elections in the BiH entity Republika Srpska, scheduled for 23 November, began on 8 November. There are six candidates for this post confirmed by the Central Election Commission of Bosnia and Herzegovina: Siniša Karan (Alliance of Independent Social Democrats – SNSD), Branko Blanuša (Serbian Democratic Party -SDS), Dragan Đokanović (Alliance for New Politics), Nikola Lazarević (Ecological Party of the Republika Srpska), Igor Gašević (independent candidate), and Slavko Dragičević (independent candidate).
In August 2025, the Court of BiH rejected Milorad Dodik’s appeal against the Central Election Commission’s decision to revoke his mandate as President of Republika Srpska. Dodik had previously been convicted by the top Court of BiH for refusing to implement decisions issued in 2023 by the High Representative in BiH, Christian Schmidt, and was banned from holding political office for six years.
Karan and Blanuša are considered to be leading contenders in the election race. Blanuša is supported by the majority of opposition parties in RS, including the Safe Srpska Movement, founded by the Party of Democratic Progress (led by Draško Stanivuković, a mayor of Banja Luka) and the Independent Movement “In My Own Way”, as well as by the People’s Front and List for Justice and Order.
In the previous presidential elections in RS, which took place in October 2022, Milorad Dodik, a candidate of SNSD, won 47% of the vote, whereas Jelena Trivić, a candidate of PDP, was second-placed with 42.8%.
Karan promises to continue Dodik’s policy, Blanuša announces the fight against high-level corruption
Dodik, a leader of SNSD, has the most prominent role in the election campaign of Siniša Karan. The motto of the campaign is “For Karan – Srpska will win, for Dodik”.
“It is time to confirm the mandate that the people gave to President Milorad Dodik three years ago. The upcoming elections are not ordinary, it is the plebiscite in which we should protect and affirm the popular will”, stated Siniša Karan, one of Dodik’s closest associates.
According to Karan, the people in RS should “clearly and unequivocally support RS, our President Milorad Dodik and the policy of unity, institutional strength and statehood, which I will continue”.
Siniša Karan is a Professor of Constitutional Law and a former Minister of the Interior of the RS.
Branko Blanuša, the candidate of the biggest opposition party in RS, began his election campaign by organising a press conference in front of the National Assembly in Banjaluka, under the motto: “Make Srpska proud again”.
Blanuša, a Professor at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering in Banja Luka, said that if he were to be elected by the citizens, he would propose a series of laws regarding the prosecution of high-level corruption, and that all public tenders would be transparent.
“These elections are a moment of truth. Either the laws will apply to everyone, or Srpska will not exist anymore. We will give back Srpska to its people, justice to institutions and dignity to every man… We will make Srpska proud again”, Branko Blanuša stressed.
Analyst Tanja Topic stated for BUKA web portal that the very beginning of the campaign showed familiar patterns – from Dodik’s dominance to the opposition’s attempt to find the tone of change.
“The most visible in the campaign is a citizen Dodik, who despite the court ban on political activity, puts himself in front of his own candidate, and sends chauvinistic, primitive and ugly messages”, Topić remarked.
Speaking about the main opposition candidate, she noted that Branko Blanuša “won the media space even before the campaign, and gained the reputation as a modest, honest and respected university professor”.
Among the candidates for the President of RS is Dragan Đokanović, a politician and paediatrician. According to Alliance for New Politics, he “will know best how to protect and defend the interests of our people and Republika Srpska”.
Nikola Lazarević is a lawyer and the leader of the Ecological Party of RS. He announced that he would initiate “a sincere dialogue and reach a historic agreement with the other two constituent peoples on cooperation and development of Dayton BiH” if he became the President of RS.
On the other hand, Igor Gašević and Slavko Dragičević are lesser-known candidates running in the upcoming presidential elections. The media in BiH reported that they both took part in the elections in RS which was held in 2018 and 2022, and that Gašević won only 733 votes seven years ago.
