The president of the SNSD, Milorad Dodik, addressed the public after a meeting of the ruling coalition in the Republika Srpska (RS) entity, held following the decision of the Central Election Commission (CEC) of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) to annul the elections for president of the RS at 136 polling stations in 17 cities and municipalities.
Dodik’s address was marked by sharp tones, accusations, and insults directed at state institutions of BiH, political opponents, and members of the CEC. He particularly lashed out at CEC member Vanja Bjelica-Prutina, while characterizing the Commission’s decision as part of, as he stated, a broader conspiracy against the SNSD and Republika Srpska (RS).
Accusations against the CEC and alleged conspiracies
Speaking about the annulment of the elections, Dodik referred to members of the CEC as “criminals,” claiming that they are attempting to criminalize citizens in the areas where the elections were annulled. He said that the repeated voting would turn into a political showdown between, as he put it, “the Serbian people and criminals from the CEC.”
“We agreed on how we will work in the field. They want to send a message to citizens in those municipalities that they are criminals. They now want to turn this into elections between us Serbs and criminals from the CEC,” Dodik said.
He once again put forward claims of an alleged conspiracy in which, according to him, the CEC, Bosniak political actors, the opposition from the RS, as well as certain media from the Federation of BiH (FBiH) and the RS entity are participating.
Attacks on the judiciary and state institutions
Dodik asserted that the CEC was appointed unlawfully and that it operates in collusion with political centers of power from Sarajevo. He described the decision to annul the elections as “political terror,” emphasizing that polling stations are being annulled even before the vote count is completed.
“This is unlawful, but there is no one to complain to. The Court of BiH is part of the same conspiracy as is the Constitutional Court. They think they can carry out political terror, but we will not allow that,” he said.
He also announced the filing of criminal complaints against members of the CEC, whom he accuses of abuse of office and political pressure.
Inflammatory rhetoric and calls to voters
In the continuation of his address, Dodik called BiH a “failed country,” claiming that there are, as he said, intentions by “Muslims to centralize everything” and endanger RS. He presented the elections as a decisive moment for the survival of the RS.
“These elections will show whether there will be a RS. Our goal is to get even more votes. If someone loses, let them have a safe journey,” he said.
He particularly called on citizens of Laktasi and other municipalities where the elections were annulled to turn out in large numbers for the repeated voting, saying that in doing so they should “prove that they are not criminals,” but rather that, as he stated, “crime resides in the CEC.”
Personal attacks and offensive statements
During his address, Dodik also made personal, offensive remarks directed at CEC member Vanja Bjelica-Prutina, questioning her professional integrity and political neutrality, accompanied by a series of inappropriate and inflammatory statements that provoked sharp reactions in part of the public.
We remind that the CEC of BiH adopted a decision to annul early elections at certain polling stations in Prijedor, Laktasi, Banja Luka, Doboj, Stanari, Lopare, Ugljevik, Osmaci, Vlasenica, Zvornik, Bratunac, Nevesinje, Gacko, Rudo, Bileca, Milici, and Brcko, due to identified irregularities in the electoral process.
