BANJA LUKA – Siniša Karan, the candidate of Milorad Dodik’s SNSD, has won the snap elections for President of the Republika Srpska entity, the Central Election Commission of BiH (CIK) announced on Sunday night. With around 11.000 votes, approximately 2.5% more than his main rival, Branko Blanuša, Siniša Karan will be the new President of RS.
Karan will only serve out the rest of Milorad Dodik’s term in office. New elections for the President of the RS will be held alongside the general election in Bosnia and Herzegovina in October this year.
A total of 41.826 voters cast ballots, representing a turnout of 49.51 percent. The number of eligible voters was 84.474.
The repeat of the vote was held on 8 February at 136 polling stations across 17 local communities in Republika Srpska and the Brčko District. The elections at these polling stations were repeated after the CIK determined that there were irregularities during the voting on 23 November last year.
According to “Pod lupom” coalition, electoral irregularities seen in previous election cycles have been repeated in the rerun snap election.
“Direct findings by observers confirm serious forms of electoral irregularities including pressures on voters, attempts to persuade voters to support specific candidate, organized transportation of voters, indications that presidents of polling station committees are politically affiliated, as well as irregularities related to assistance provided to voters, which undermine the secrecy and freedom of the vote”, the coalition stated.
The snap elections were called after Milorad Dodik was stripped of his mandate as President of Republika Srpska in August 2025, following a conviction for failing to comply with decisions of the High Representative.
