Bosnia's Political Turmoil: New Leadership Amidst Ethnic Tensions

Voters in Republika Srpska, part of Bosnia, cast ballots to choose a new president after the removal of pro-Russian leader Milorad Dodik, convicted for defying the international High Representative. Sunday's election features Sinisa Karan, Dodik's ally, and Branko Blanusa from the opposition amid Bosnia's complex ethnic-political landscape.

In a decisive political shift in Bosnia's Serb-controlled region, voters headed to the polls on Sunday to elect a new president following the removal of Milorad Dodik, a leader known for his pro-Russian stance and separatist agenda.

Dodik was ousted in August after a Bosnian court found him guilty of defying the international High Representative's orders, sentencing him to prison and barring him from public office. Dodik avoided jail by paying a fine and relinquishing his presidential role while retaining leadership of his party.

The election in Republika Srpska, which forms roughly half of Bosnia, pits Sinisa Karan, who has Dodik's backing, against opposition candidate Branko Blanusa. The vote occurs in the shadow of Bosnia's intricate political framework, established post-war by a US-mediated peace deal.

(With inputs from agencies.)