Bosnia election body annuls votes at 136 polling stations in Serb entity
Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Central Electoral Commission (CIK) on Wednesday annulled results from 136 polling stations in Republika Srpska, citing widespread irregularities in the November snap election to choose a successor to the entity’s banned president.
CIK said the violations may have affected the outcome of the Nov. 23 vote, which was narrowly won by Sinisa Karan, backed by longtime Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik, with 50.4% of the vote. Opposition-backed Branko Blanusa received 48.2%, with fewer than 10,000 votes separating the candidates out of about 450,000 cast.
Opposition parties alleged fraud by the ruling coalition, while CIK officials said annulling results was necessary to protect the integrity of the electoral process.
The decision can be appealed within two days. If upheld, repeat voting will be held at the affected polling stations.
Dodik criticized the move as undermining confidence in the electoral system, while Blanusa’s SDS party welcomed it as safeguarding voters’ will.
The snap election was called after Dodik was removed from office in August following a conviction for defying rulings by the international overseer of the Dayton Peace Agreement.
