Serb nationalist credits Trump, Putin after declaring his party's victory in Bosnian election
Bosnian Serb nationalist Milorad Dodik has declared victory for his party in the Bosnian election, citing support from Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin. The results have sparked concerns regarding regional stability and the future of the country's multi-ethnic governance.
Why it matters
The election results threaten to exacerbate ethnic divisions in Bosnia and could signal a shift in regional geopolitical alignment toward Russia and nationalist interests.
Dodik is a staunchly pro-Russia politician who, despite not appearing on the ballot, has dominated the campaign and inflamed divisions with separatist rhetoric that has sparked fears of renewed instability in Bosnia.
Formerly the president of the country's Serb-majority entity of Republika Srpska, Dodik was banned from holding public office after being convicted last year of defying decisions by the international envoy overseeing the 1995 peace agreement that ended the war.
With nearly 90 per cent of votes counted, Dodik's ally, Zeljka Cvijanovic of the right-wing Alliance of Independent Social Democrats, had more than 55 per cent of votes to take one of the three seats in the country's tripartite presidency, leading her nearest opponent by about 30 percentage points.
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