Republika Srpska, the Serbian entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina, has appointed Ana Risic Babic as interim president, formalizing the removal of Milorad Dodik from the post after a state court barred him from holding political office.
Republika Srpska’s parliament confirmed the appointment of Babić, a close ally of Dodik, on Saturday, saying she will hold the top post until presidential elections are held on November 23.
The Serbian entity’s lawmakers also overturned several separatist laws passed during Dodik’s presidency that had challenged the authority of international envoy Christian Schmidt and Bosnia’s Constitutional Court.
Dodik, a pro-Russian nationalist who has called for Republika Srpska to break away from Bosnia and Herzegovina and join Serbia, had previously refused to step down.
Meanwhile, the US Department of Justice announced on Friday that it had lifted sanctions against four of Dodik’s allies – a move that Dodik welcomed, as he has campaigned to have sanctions lifted against him as well.
Dodik is currently sanctioned by the US, UK and several European governments for actions that undermine the US-brokered Dayton Peace Accords that ended the 1992–1995 war in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Under the Dayton Agreement, the country is divided into two autonomous entities: the Republika Srpska and the Bosnian Croat Federation, which have shared national institutions, including the presidency, military, judiciary and tax system.
