Darko Babalj, a member of the opposition Serb Democratic Party (SDS) in the House of Representatives of Bosnia and Herzegovina, urged his party colleague Branko Blanuša to declare victory in the early presidential elections in Republika Srpska and mobilize supporters to the streets.
“Go in front of the Presidential Palace in Banja Luka and call on the people to celebrate your victory. Protect the mandate that citizens have given you. If you do not act tonight, they will steal it, as they have in the past under the cover of night, through electoral fraud and manipulation,” Babalj wrote on X.
He added that the opposition is accustomed to such tactics over the years and that Blanuša must “show teeth.” “You have won! This is your night, the night of SDS victory. There is no political comfort; we must not allow them to steal it,” he said.
The SDS has rejected the election victory of the ruling SNSD candidate, Siniša Karan. The party announced that it will request a repeat of elections in Zvornik, Laktaši, and Doboj due to alleged irregularities.
Jovica Radulović, acting president of the SDS, said the party’s internal results show a different outcome. “We do not recognize their victory. The electoral results indicate otherwise,” Radulović said, adding that a repeat vote will be sought in the three municipalities. He also said preliminary figures show Blanuša leading, with only a few hundred votes separating the candidates.
SDS official Želimir Nešković described trends from the ground as “very optimistic” despite some reported irregularities, particularly in Laktaši.
The party said Blanuša will address supporters from the SDS election headquarters later on Saturday evening.