Branko Blanuša, the candidate of the Serbian Democratic Party in the repeated elections for the president of the Republika Srpska, admitted defeat tonight, but pointed out that the election day was marked by a lot of blackmail and irregularities, which, he pointed out, was especially expressed through vote buying.
“This result was achieved through pressure and blackmail. We must now learn a lesson and prepare for the next elections ahead of us,” Blanuša told reporters at the SDS election headquarters in Banja Luka.
He also stated that the ruling coalition in the RS invested huge public resources in these elections.
“I am not disappointed. We worked honorably and honestly. This is about systemic problems in the election process that will not be solved even by the introduction of scanners and new technologies,” said Blanuša, who is also the president of SDS.
He added that SDS had the support of certain opposition parties, but that the support of some of these parties was questionable, which will be discussed in the coming period.
According to SDS data, from 90 percent of polling stations processed, Siniša Karan, candidate of SNSD, won 24,440 votes, while Branko Blanuša won 10,168 votes.
“The RS will have a president in the coming period and the institutions can function, although the issue of constitutionality is open for the Government of the RS,” Blanuša concluded.
Early elections for the president of the RS were repeated at 136 polling stations in 17 cities and municipalities today, based on the decision of the Central Election Commission of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which found numerous electoral irregularities in the November 23 elections at these polling stations.
Early presidential elections in the RS were held on November 23, after the CEC stripped the presidential mandate from Milorad Dodik, who was sentenced by the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina to one year in prison and six years of public office for not implementing the decisions of the High Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
