• Sinisa Karan wins the presidential election in Republika Srpska with 50.89% of the vote.
• The election followed the removal of Milorad Dodik due to his separatist policies and a prison sentence.
• Turnout was reported at just over 31%, with claims of irregularities raised by the opposition.

Voting took place on Sunday in Republika Srpska, where Sinisa Karan, an ally of former president Milorad Dodik, emerged victorious in the snap presidential election, securing 50.89% of the votes. Voting lasted from 7 AM to 7 PM at 2,211 polling stations, with over 1.2 million eligible voters, although participation was low, hovering around 31%, according to the Central Election Commission (CIK) of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Karan, previously the minister of scientific and technological development, was seen as a handpicked successor to Dodik, who was banned from politics following a conviction for defying the Office of the High Representative (OHR) and promoting separatist rhetoric, according to aa and aljazeera.

The competition was primarily between Karan and Branko Blanusa of the opposition Serb Democratic Party, who garnered 47.81% of the vote. Despite Karan’s victory, opposition parties claimed there were significant irregularities during the election process, including shortages of electoral materials and pressure on voters. Karan's win is viewed as a continuation of Dodik's nationalist agenda, which has raised concerns about the ethnic tensions within Bosnia and Herzegovina, as noted by scmp and aa.

Dodik’s removal from office being tied to his hardline stance against the OHR and the authority it holds following the Dayton Peace Accords illustrates the ongoing political strife in Bosnia. The former leader's statements made it clear that he continues to influence the region's politics from behind the scenes, asserting that Karan's victory “will be my victory too.” This reflects a broader struggle for the future direction of Republika Srpska and the stability of Bosnia and Herzegovina overall, according to aljazeera and scmp.