"Once hailed as a Western favorite and a 'breath of fresh air in the Balkans,' former President Milorad Dodik on Monday withdrew from all official roles in Republika Srpska, the Serb-majority entity that makes up half of Bosnia and Herzegovina, after almost three decades in power. A months-long standoff with the state judiciary has thus ended with Dodik's complete capitulation."
"It began in February, when a Bosnian federal court sentenced him to one year in prison and barred him from politics for six years for flouting decisions by High Representative Christian Schmidt, the international envoy tasked with enforcing the Dayton Agreement peace deal that ended the Bosnian War 30 years ago. Dodik rose to power in 1998 and ruled Republika Srpska unchallenged for 27 years."
"In August, Bosnia's Central Election Commission stripped him of the presidency of Republika Srpska. Initial defiance "I won't step down. There will be a referendum at the end of September," Dodik repeatedly insisted, both after the court's decision and after being stripped of the presidency. While he avoided a prison sentence by paying a fine, he is still barred from all political activity for six years."
Milorad Dodik withdrew from all official roles in Republika Srpska after nearly three decades in power, ending a months-long standoff with the state judiciary. A Bosnian federal court in February sentenced him to one year in prison and barred him from politics for six years for flouting decisions by High Representative Christian Schmidt, who enforces the Dayton Agreement. In August, the Central Election Commission stripped him of the presidency of Republika Srpska. Dodik avoided prison by paying a fine but remains barred from political activity. His party, the Alliance of Independent Social Democrats (SNSD), abandoned its defiant stance and requested an interim president ahead of an early election on November 23.
Read at www.dw.com
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