The Central Election Commission of Bosnia and Herzegovina (CEC BiH) has launched ex officio proceedings against Milorad Dodik, leader of the Alliance of Independent Social Democrats (SNSD), after his disgraceful and openly racist outburst at an election rally in East Sarajevo.
During his speech, Dodik insulted Bosniaks, referring to them as “Turks” and “Muslims who spread like amoebas.” He went even further, calling on Serbs to “prevent the Islamization” of East Sarajevo, which he described as a “Serbian city,” declaring, “we are not the same people.”
Such language represents a direct act of hate speech and incitement to ethnic division, reminiscent of the darkest years of the 1990s — years when hate-filled rhetoric paved the way for war crimes and ethnic cleansing.
The CEC has decided to initiate proceedings ex officio and will also act on the formal report it received this morning, which accuses Dodik of hate speech. Under the election law, the CEC can impose fines of up to 30,000 convertible marks (about €15,000) and even remove a candidate’s name from the ballot.
According to sources cited by the Sarajevo-based portal Raport, the CEC may go further — potentially revoking the SNSD’s certification to participate in the upcoming early elections for the president of Republika Srpska, scheduled for November 23.
If confirmed, this would be a historic step against hate-mongering politicians who continue to poison the political landscape of Bosnia and Herzegovina with nationalism, racism, and open contempt for coexistence.
Once again, Dodik proves that he thrives not on leadership, but on division, provocation, and fear, dragging the country backward at a time when the region desperately needs peace, accountability, and European values.
