Milorad can’t, but Dodik can. Igor Dodik, son of the president of the Alliance of Independent Social Democrats (SNSD), Milorad Dodik, is the party’s list holder in the Banja Luka constituency for the National Assembly of the Republika Srpska (RSS). Political analysts believe that in this way Milorad Dodik is trying to keep political power within the closest family circle.
Milorad Dodik is prohibited from running for any office, but his son is officially entering the big political scene. Igor Dodik is the holder of the SNSD list for NSRS in Constituency 3.
“This is my choice of candidates. I insisted on them and got the consent of the entire party, as well as a significant number of people on the lists,” said SNSD president Milorad Dodik.
There are no surprises, says political analyst Tanja Topić. As he says, the transfer of political power from father to son is not a phenomenon that happens for the first time.
“It is no surprise that sons are promoted in political life. We have seen that in Serbia, but also here. We have people who have been present on the political scene for decades and who have always made room for their successors,” said Topić.
Many expected Igor Dodik to be a candidate for one of the other positions, says journalist Goran Dakić, but Milorad Dodik estimated that the first place to enter politics is the National Assembly.
“Complete political power remains in the hands of one family. It was only a question of what Igor Dodik would get. It was obvious that he would not get a candidacy for the president of the RS or a member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, because these positions, at least in theory, could be lost. It was also unlikely that he would get the position of prime minister, but this is the perfect position. Igor Dodik cannot lose this race, and the entire SNSD will work for that list,” said Dakić.
Dakić believes that Igor Dodik’s entry into the election race represents a continuation of the retention of political power within the family.
“His father is doing everything to transfer his absolute political power and make a transfer to his darling,” said Dakić.
In these elections, SNSD will not nominate a single person with the surname Dodik as a candidate for other positions. In the next four years, that will almost certainly change, Federalna writes.
