BANJA LUKA – The main opposition parties in BiH’s entity Republika Srpska, spearheaded by the Serb Democratic Party (SDS), reached an agreement to present a united front for the upcoming general elections in BiH, scheduled for 4 October.
Among other things, Safe Srpska Movement (PSS) agreed to withdraw its candidates and fully support the SDS list, backing Branko Blanuša’s nomination for President of Republika Srpska and Marinko Božović for the Serb member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Draško Stanivuković, leader of PSS, announced that he is giving up his candidacy for the President of RS.
“We made this decision independently and without anyone’s interference, as someone wants to to impose”, Stanivuković, Mayor of Banja Luka, said.
Similarly, Jelena Trivić, leader of The People’s Front, welcomed the agreement reached by the opposition parties, stressing that Branko Blanuša will be fully supported by her party.
“The People’s Front has made every possible effort to ensure a unified opposition approach regarding the race for the President of Republika Srpska”, Trivić stated.
The election in RS is expected to be a high-stakes battle between the ruling Independent Social Democrats party (SNSD) and a unified opposition block.
Milorad Dodik, former President of RS and incumbent leader of SNSD, cannot personally run for office due to ongoing international sanctions. Instead, Savo Minić will run for President of RS, and Željka Cvijanović is SNSD’s candidate for the Serb member of the Presidency of BiH.
In addition, Igor Dodik, Milorad Dodik’s son and Organisational Secretary of the SNDS will officially lead the party’s list in Electoral Unit 3 (Banja Luka) for the National Assembly of RS.
Commenting on the agreement reached by the main opposition parties in RS, Tanja Topić, political analyst and Head of Friedrich Ebert Foundation office in Banja Luka, states for EWB that “in recent months, the opposition leaders were at each other’s throats, giving the public the impression that they only care about the positions of power”.
“This was in favour of the government, as many citizens of RS, particularly those who support the opposition, are so disgusted with politics that they will abstain from voting in the general election. The only person who could smile watching these quarrels was Milorad Dodik”, Topić notes.
In Topić’s view, “the opposition has lost credibility and some candidates lost their dignity”.
“The damage done to the opposition and their actions can hardly be repaired by support for joint candidates, especially given the fact that For Justice and Order party, led by Nebojša Vukanović, has not joined their ranks. Therefore, it seems that the opposition is not trying to win this election ‘battle’ and that they are quite comfortable with perpetually being out of government”, she concludes.
