BiH’s Serb ruling coalition rejects election annulment, attacks state election body

The annulment affects polling stations in several towns, including Banja Luka, Prijedor, Doboj, Zvornik, Brčko, and others. The CEC cited irregularities, though a detailed breakdown has yet to be made public.

Following the meeting, coalition leaders sharply criticized the election commission, accusing it of attempting to overturn what they described as the “will of the voters.”

Nenad Stevandic, speaker of the RS National Assembly, called the CEC decision a “serious blow” and warned of a strong political response. He claimed the coalition had received greater support than the official results showed and said it would not allow external actors to influence the outcome.

Coalition partners echoed calls for political mobilization. Darko Banjac, leader of the National Party of Republika Srpska, accused state institutions of deliberately prolonging the process to “exhaust voters,” urging supporters to remain engaged if new elections are held.

Goran Selak, leader of the Socialist Party of Republika Srpska, said the early elections were imposed without the coalition’s consent and pledged that the ruling bloc would again participate should voting be repeated.

RS President Milorad Dodik claimed the CEC decision had further united the coalition. He questioned the legality of the commission’s composition and accused it of acting as part of a broader political conspiracy aimed at weakening Republika Srpska.

Dodik framed the dispute in existential terms, saying the outcome of the election process would determine the future of the Serb entity within Bosnia and Herzegovina. He reiterated long-standing claims that the country’s institutions are dysfunctional and accused Bosniak political actors of pursuing centralization.

The CEC has not responded to the latest accusations. No incidents or security concerns were reported following the meeting.