SARAJEVO -- Milorad Dodik, the Russia-friendly former leader of Bosnia-Herzegovina's Serbian-led entity, declared victory for his party in the region, with nationalist parties also scoring wins in Bosnia's complex electoral system -- results likely to keep tensions high in the country and the region.
"I am declaring that we have won," Dodik told supporters in Banja Luka late on October 4, saying preliminary figures assure that his SNSD -- the Alliance of Independent Social Democrats -- will remain in power in Republika Srpska (RS).
Voters cast ballots for the country's central tripartite presidency and national parliament, alongside regional legislative races, such as in the RS, in a complex political system set up under the Dayton accords that ended the country's devastating 1992-95 war.
Denis Becirevic accompanied with wife Mirela meet with reporters on October 4.
As part of the Dayton agreements, Bosnia was divided into two semi-autonomous entities -- the Serb-run RS and a Muslim Bosniak-Croat federation -- linked by a sometimes weak central government.
In his victory speech, Dodik said the SNSD’s Zeljka Cvijanovic will become a member of Bosnia's tripartite presidency, based on results with 92 percent of ballots counted.
Pro-West incumbent Denis Becirovic was on course to win the Bosniak seat in the presidency and is expected to be joined by Darijana Filipovic of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ), who is projected to win the Croat seat.
At 39, Filipovic is set to become the youngest member of the Bosnian presidency since the end of the 1992-95 conflict.
Thanks For Trump, Putin
Dodik, who has pushed for greater autonomy from the state government for the Serbian entity -- often along with secessionist rhetoric -- was quick to thank the US and Russian presidents for the victory.
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"But now, thanks to the new environment, we are political winners," he said, also offering thanks to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
"Our political positions remain firm and we will not abandon them. We will continue working for the benefit of our people," Dodik said.
Dodik, 67, was not on any ballot, having been banned from public office, but his face was visible on billboards across Republika Srpska, where he remains a highly influential voice.
Dodik and other RS officials previously faced US sanctions over allegations related to violations of the Dayton peace accords that ended Bosnia's 1992-95 war and for refusing to implement actions of an international peace envoy.
However, the US Treasury Department announced on October 29, 2025, that Dodik and dozens of his allies had been removed from the US sanctions list.
Darijana Filipovic, candidate of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ), meets with supporters on October 4.
The Treasury did not elaborate on the move, but it followed Washington’s statement welcoming the appointment of an interim president to replace Dodik, who had been stripped of his presidency after a court ruling.
Throughout his tenure as RS president, Dodik faced criticism for authoritarian tendencies, undermining democratic institutions, and fostering a culture of political patronage.
In one preelection rally, Dodik called for the border between RS and Serbia to be erased. Other nationalist politicians have called for a merger with Serbia.
SDA Leads Parliament Vote
Meanwhile, ethnic-nationalist forces appear to have scored success in the BiH’s national parliament in Sarajevo on October 4.
According to preliminary results, the nationalist Party of Democratic Action (SDA) has the largest number of votes in the federation parliament, trailed by the Social Democratic Party of BiH (SDP-BH), and the Croatian Democratic Union of BiH (HDZ BiH).
The SNSD and Dodik are openly pro-Russian and anti-NATO, while the SDA, HDZ, and SDP are pro-EU and favor NATO.
Outgoing Croat presidency member Zeljko Komsic said the strong results by nationalist parties reflected growing ethnic consolidation among voters.
"It is evident that ethnic homogenization of the electorate has taken place across all parts of Bosnia-Herzegovina," Komsic said, adding that the election suggested that "the idea of a civic state currently lacks broad electoral support."
While the political divide still reflects the 1990s conflict, a new element in this election was biometric voter checks and ballot scanners. This led to some polling stations opening later than scheduled amid technical hiccups.
Bosnia is the first country in the Western Balkans to implement the system nationwide, a measure imposed by the international High Representative's Office as part of election-integrity reforms under the framework established by the Dayton accords.