“I’m here tonight to tell you that Milorad Dodik isn’t going anywhere. Milorad Dodik will be in the presidential palace very soon,” Dodik said in the center of the de facto capital of the Republic of Srpska. The opposition accuses the Serbian nationalist hardliner and confidant of Russian President Vladimir Putin of electoral fraud.
The Bosnian Central Election Commission (CIK) has ordered a recount of the October 2 presidential election. According to the preliminary results, Dodik won the election with 48 percent of the vote. Opposition candidate Jelena Trivic came in at 43 percent.
The results of the recount are expected by the end of the week. CIK boss Suad Arnautovic warned there had been “an enormous number of electoral law violations” and “unprecedented pressure on the electoral commission”.
Dodik is aiming for his third term as president of the Serbian Republic. The 63-year-old has been the leader of the Bosnian Serbs for more than 15 years.
(SDA)