Karan wins snap Presidential election in Bosnia’s Serb-Majority entity

Monday 24 November 2025 - 07:30

By: Sahili Aya

Karan wins snap Presidential election in Bosnia’s Serb-Majority entity

Sinisa Karan, a long-time political figure in Republika Srpska and widely viewed as a close ally and preferred successor of former leader Milorad Dodik, has secured victory in the snap presidential election held in the Serb-majority entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina, according to preliminary results released on Sunday.

The vote was conducted across more than 2,200 polling stations both within Republika Srpska and abroad, opening at 7 a.m. and closing at 7 p.m. Local election officials reported that just over 443,000 citizens cast their ballots out of more than one million registered voters.

The Central Election Commission announced that Karan, who previously served as interior minister and currently oversees scientific and technological development and higher education in the entity’s government, leads the race with just over 50% of the vote. His main challenger, Branko Blanusa of the Serbian Democratic Party, trailed him by only a few percentage points.

Karan claimed victory shortly after the first results were made public, stating that Republika Srpska “poses no threat to anyone” and that his administration intends to continue existing policies “with renewed strength.” Dodik, who was removed from office earlier this year following a six-year ban from political activity, congratulated Karan while pointing to the relatively low turnout.

Opposition parties have alleged irregularities in several municipalities and announced their intention to appeal and demand repeat voting in certain areas.

The election took place against the backdrop of long-standing political tensions in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Dodik, known for his separatist rhetoric, has repeatedly challenged the authority of the Office of the High Representative (OHR), an institution created under the Dayton Peace Agreement to oversee civilian implementation of the peace accords. His refusal to recognize decisions issued by the high representative resulted in legal action, ultimately leading to his removal from the presidency of Republika Srpska.