Serbian Hardliners Claim Victory in Bosnian Elections

The hard-line leader of the Bosnian Serbs, Milorad Dodik, has won the Serbian seat on Bosnia's tripartite state presidency, according to still incomplete results from Sunday's elections.

The three members of the collective head of state will now be Dodik, outgoing President of Bosnia's mainly Serbian entity, Republika Srpska and head of the Alliance of Independent Social Democrats, SNSD, Sefik Dzaferovic, from the main Bosniak Party of Democratic Action, SDA, and Zeljko Komsic, from the Democratic Front.

Dodik, well known for his close ties to Russia, and for his support for Republika Srpska's independence, said serving the Serbian people's interests would bre his only priority.

"It's a clear cut victory," Dodik said in Banja Luka, the main city in Republika Srpska. "I don't care who the other two representatives in the presidency are. I am going there, to this presidency, to work above all and only for the interests of Serbs."

Dodik's victory, though expected, will dismay those who have championed closer ties to the West, NATO and the European Union. Though ostensibly pro-EU, he is a frequent visitor to Russia and has fostered a close alliance to Russian President Vadimir Putin.

Another upset in the election was the defeat of Covic, head of Bosnia's main Croat party, the Croatian Democratic Union, HDZ BiH, and who lost out to Komsic in the race for the Croat seat.

He accused Komsic of relying on Bosniak votes for his victory, heralding another of several potential crises in Bosnia.

The HDZ previously claimed that Komsic owed his presidential win in 2010 to the votes of the Bosniaks.

Turnout for the state level elections was 53.36 per cent. In the Federation entity, the turnout was 51.25 per cent, in Republika Srpska...

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