2007 Republika Srpska presidential election explained

Country:Republika Srpska
Flag Year:1992
Type:presidential
Ongoing:no
Previous Election:2006 Republika Srpska general election
Previous Year:2006
Next Election:2010 Republika Srpska general election
Next Year:2010
Election Date:9 December 2007
Candidate1:Rajko Kuzmanović
Party1:Alliance of Independent Social Democrats
Popular Vote1:169,863
Percentage1:41.33%
Candidate2:Ognjen Tadić
Party2:Serbian Democratic Party (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Popular Vote2:142,898
Percentage2:34.77%
President
Before Election:Igor Radojičić
(Acting)
Before Party:Alliance of Independent Social Democrats
After Election:Rajko Kuzmanović
After Party:Alliance of Independent Social Democrats

The presidential election of 2007 in the Republika Srpska entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina was announced after the premature death of President Milan Jelić on 30 September 2007 and was held on 9 December 2007.[1] Until the election took place, Igor Radojičić, also from the ruling Alliance of Independent Social Democrats, was acting president.[2] The election had to be called within fifteen days of Jelić's death;[3] it was called on 11 October 2007, with candidates to be nominated by 16 October 2007.[4]

Candidates

There were ten candidates,[5] with the frontrunners being the Republika Srpska Academy of Sciences chairman Rajko Kuzmanović of the ruling Alliance of Independent Social Democrats, MP Ognjen Tadić of the main opposition Serbian Democratic Party, and former Prime Minister of Republika Srpska and Bosnia and Herzegovina Foreign Minister Mladen Ivanić of the Party of Democratic Progress.[6]

All three main candidates supported Republika Srpska's status in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Dayton Accords. President of Serbia Boris Tadić and the Democratic Party in Serbia supported the SNSD and its candidate Kuzmanović.[7] According to the electoral law, there would be no run-off.[8]

The other candidates were:[9]

Results

According to unofficial results (with 55% of the votes counted), Kuzmanović won the election with 44.53% of the votes to Tadić's 33.28% and Ivanić's 16%.[11] Turnout was close to 36%.[12]

Official results released on 2007-12-17 confirmed these preliminary results. Kuzmanović was sworn in on 2007-12-28.[13]

Notes and References

  1. http://www.24sata.info/7767 9. decembar: Prijevremeni izbori za predsjednika Republike Srpske | 24sata.info - Vijesti, gradovi, sport, zabava, tehnologija, lifestyle, kolumne
  2. http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/10/01/europe/EU-GEN-Bosnia-Next-President.php Radojcic nominated as interim president in Republika Srpska – International Herald Tribune
  3. http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/117996.html Thousands expected at late Bosnian Serb leader Jelic's funeral : World
  4. Web site: Bosnian Serbs to elect new president - Europe . 2007-10-12 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120207190839/http://news.monstersandcritics.com/europe/news/article_1364500.php/Bosnian_Serbs_to_elect_new_president . 2012-02-07 . dead .
  5. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7135341.stm BBC NEWS | Europe | Bosnian Serbs get new president
  6. http://www.setimes.com/cocoon/setimes/xhtml/en_GB/newssummary/#setimes/newsbriefs/2007/11/26/nb-04 News
  7. Web site: B92 - News - Region - RS holds presidential elections . 2007-12-10 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110606222044/http://www.b92.net/eng/news/region-article.php?yyyy=2007&mm=12&dd=09&nav_id=46040 . 2011-06-06 . dead .
  8. http://www.setimes.com/cocoon/setimes/xhtml/en_GB/features/setimes/features/2007/12/06/feature-02 Republika Srpska poised to elect new president Sunday (SETimes.com)
  9. http://derstandard.at/?id=3138248 derStandard.at / Registrierung
  10. Web site: Home . izbori.ba.
  11. http://www.setimes.com/cocoon/setimes/xhtml/en_GB/features/setimes/features/2007/12/10/feature-01 Unofficial results declare Kuzmanovic new president of Republika Srpska (SETimes.com)
  12. Web site: B92 - News - Region - Kuzmanović on track to become Bosnian Serb president . 2007-12-10 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110606222106/http://www.b92.net/eng/news/region-article.php?yyyy=2007&mm=12&dd=10&nav_id=46057 . 2011-06-06 . dead .
  13. http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/12/28/europe/EU-GEN-Bosnia-Serb-President.php New Bosnian Serb president vows to work to prevent further unification of country – International Herald Tribune