The leader and deputy leader of the Democratic People's Alliance (DNS), Marko Pavic and Dragutin Rodic, the coalition partner of the strongest Bosnian Serb party in the Republika Srpska (RS) entity, have resigned from their party functions, Tuesday.

The resignations came after several weeks of disagreements over the position of the State Civil Rights Minister in the newly formed government of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Namely, DNS leader Marko Pavic suggested Drasko Acimovic to this post while another DNS deputy leader Nenad Nesic suggested Mladjan Bozanovic to the newly elected Bosnian prime minister Zoran Tegeltija from the ruling RS’ Alliance of Independent Social Democrats (SNSD).

Some Bosnian media outlets even suggested that Nesic and Bozanovic are related, but that Tegeltija did not mind that.

After the new Council of Ministers (as Bosnia's government is called) was sworn in Monday, Zoran Tegeltija said that Mladjen Bozanovic has passed all checks by state law enforcement institutions and that he will be sworn in at a later date.

In his resignation, Pavic said the position has cost him his health and that further political activity could jeopardize his life.

After hearing of Pavic's resignation, Dragutin Rodic said he submitted an irrevocable resignation to the posts of deputy leader and secretary-general of this party.

“I've worked intensively with the DNS leader for over 20 years and I've served as the party secretary-general since 2004. From 2019 I served as the DNS deputy leader,” Rodic said, who also noted that the party's demise began after the party achieved its best election result in the general election held last October.

Following these resignations, N1's Andjelka Markovic reported that the RS Transport Minister Nedjo Trninic from the DNS was dismissed from the post after the RS President Zeljka Cvijanovic and RS parliament Speaker Nedeljko Cubrilovic completed all the procedures for his dismissal.

Trninic's position will now be occupied by Djordje Popovic.