Go to mediabankMilorad Dodik. File photoBELGRADE, Oct 3Bosnian Serb Presidium Member of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) Milorad Dodik is leading the presidential elections in Republika Srpska BiH, the country's Central Electoral Commission said based on preliminary data processed from 90.4% of polling stations. Residents of BiH on Sunday elected three members of the collective head of state — Presidium — one each from Bosniaks (Muslim Slavs), Bosnian Croats and local Serbs, 42 deputies of the House of Representatives of the BiH Parliamentary Assembly, 83 deputies of the Assembly (Parliament) of the Republika Srpska (RS BiH), President and Vice-Presidents of the RS BiH, 98 deputies in the House of Representatives of the Croatian-Muslim Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and candidates for municipal assemblies. 3,386,666 citizens had the right to vote, the turnout was 50%.Bosnian Serb leader: No call from Brussels before meeting with PutinAccording to data updated on Monday evening on the official website of the election commission, Dodik leads with 48.36% of the vote, the closest competitor for the presidency of the RS BiH, Elena Trivic, receives 43.27% of voters' support. Material from 90.4% of polling stations has been processed. On Monday night, Dodik, the leader of the Union of Independent Social Democrats, the ruling party in the RS, already announced his victory and promised to maintain cooperation with Serbia, Russia and Hungary. A member of the party, the current president of the RS BiH, Zelka Tsviyanovich, also announced her victory, she was nominated for the post of a member of the presidium of BiH from the Serbian people. Dodik, at the age of 63, was three times the prime minister and twice the president of the RS BiH. He is considered the most pro-Russian politician in BiH, has been under Western sanctions for years and openly does not recognize the High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina Christian Schmidt, whose appointment to the UN was not approved by the Russian Federation and China.
Bosnian Serb leader Dodik appreciated the possibility of paying for gas in national currenciesDuring his visit to Moscow on September 22, the presidential candidate of the Republic of BiH met with Russian leader Vladimir Putin and stressed that Russia is a key foreign economic partner of the Republika Srpska and constantly supports it, including in the Council UN security. In an interview with RIA Novosti, Dodik pointed out that «the West believes that it has the right to decide for others.» He also expressed confidence in his victory, but noted that there is evidence of interference in the elections in BiH from the West — the West finances and promotes its candidates who do not enjoy wide support from the population. Democratic Party, 39-year-old economics teacher Elena Trivic. She made criticism of 17 years of SNSD rule, the fight against corruption and the urgent needs of citizens as the basis of her campaign. Dodik said
