Unofficial results declare Kuzmanovic new president of Republika Srpska

10/12/2007

The Union of Independent Social Democrats candidate has won the RS presidential elections, according to preliminary results. Rajko Kuzmanovic vows to be president to all Bosnian Serbs, no matter their party or ethnicity.

By Vlatko Vukotic for Southeast European Times in Banja Luka - 10/12/07

Rajko Kuzmanovic of the ruling Union of Independent Social Democrats casts his vote Sunday (December 9th). [Getty Images]

Rajko Kuzmanovic has won the presidential election of Republic of Srpska (RS), according to preliminary results announced on Monday (December 10th) by the Bosnia and Herzegovina Election Commission.

With 55% of the ballots counted, Kuzmanovic -- a member of the ruling Union of Independent Social Democrats (SNSD) and current chairman of the RS Academy of Science -- won 45% of votes. Ognjen Tadic of the nationalist Serb Democratic Party (SDS) came in second with 33%. The leader of the Party of Democratic Progress (PDP), Mladen Ivanic, was third, with 16%, according to the electoral commission.

Promising to be the president of all Bosnian Serbs, regardless of their political affiliations, Kuzmanovic said, "I will immediately take over the presidential duties according to the constitution, and perform my duties as they are laid out in the constitution. I will represent the Republic and protect its unity."

Kuzmanovic will have to wait to assume those duties until the final results are announced later this month.

The early elections were called after incumbent President Milan Jelic died of a heart attack on September 30th, less than a year after he assumed office.

"It is evident that no party has the absolute majority any longer, and that the three parties have distinguished themselves from each other, which will define the future of the local political scene," the PDP's Ivanic said.

Both the SDS and PDP say they do not view the results as a defeat, rather, that they are regaining the voters' trust after a much greater defeat last year. "We have made mistakes, but the people saw that we are capable of fixing them," said Tadic.

The elections were marked by voter turnout so low that it surprised even the most pessimistic. The election commission said only 36% of Republika Srpska's 1.1 million voters came to the polls -- the worst voter turnout in the past 12 years. Analysts say this is because voters are not interested in who is president, because it is only a figurehead position.

RS Prime Minister Milorad Dodik said Kuzmanovic's win represents a victory for democracy and for the RS. He also considers Kuzmanovic's win to be a vote of public confidence in the SNSD government.

"RS institutions will continue to work on their programmes without obstacles. It is very important that we still have the confidence of the citizens, which is the confirmation of our party policy up to now," said Dodik.