Dodik retains sway in Republika Srpska, jeopardizing steadiness and amplifying Russian meddling
Presently, Bosnian Serbs are selecting a fresh figurehead to succeed Milorad Dodik.
Dodik consented to step down in return for the revocation of US penalties levied against him, his relatives, partners, and related enterprises.
Notwithstanding this, the 66-year-old Moscow confidant stayed a noticeable personality throughout the electoral proceedings, augmenting the chance that the prospective chieftain of Republika Srpska will act upon his instructions, state Western functionaries operating in Bosnia.
“Through brokering a pact with the US, Dodik has assured a mechanism to preserve leverage and command within the Republika Srpska,” asserted University of Ljubljana lecturer Faris Kočan, a regional specialist.
Dodik backed Sinisa Karan from the Alliance of Independent Social Democrats. Karan pledges perpetuation of Dodik’s strategies, declaring the catchphrase: “An endorsement for Karan is an endorsement for Dodik.”
Throughout the campaign, Dodik vigorously chased his pronouncements, frequently aimed toward Muslims, the nation’s largest ethnic assembly.
As per the International Institute for Balkan Studies (Slovenia), Karan’s triumph could signify a maintenance of the course of unsettling and clashing with state apparatus and the global society, whereas Dodik’s blueprint continues to be perceived as a conduit for Russian sway.
Karan’s chief adversaries encompass Branko Blanuša of the Serbian Democratic Party, who vowed to halt the departure of youth, and seasoned political figure Dragan Đokanović, who previously stood against Dodik.
