The Central Election Commission (CEC) of Bosnia and Herzegovina has officially annulled Milorad Dodik’s presidential mandate after a final court ruling upheld his conviction, sparking a sharp political response from the Republika Srpska (RS) leader. On August 1, the Court of Appeals upheld a one-year prison sentence against Dodik and barred him from holding public office for six years. He was convicted for deliberately failing to implement decisions issued by the High Representative, Christian Schmidt.

In response to the CEC's move on August 6, Dodik stated that a referendum would be held in RS to determine the next steps, emphasizing that the people, not the CEC, had granted him his mandate. He argued that the Commission had no authority to revoke something it did not confer and signaled that the RS National Assembly would likely initiate the referendum process soon.

Dodik framed the decision as an existential threat to Republika Srpska, stating that the measures coming from Sarajevo amounted to a “death sentence” for the entity’s Constitution. He once again rejected the legitimacy of High Representative Schmidt, calling all related decisions unconstitutional and attributing the latest developments to what he described as Sarajevo’s ongoing separatist agenda.

“I have no illusions about complete unity, but I trust the people,” Dodik said, urging Serbs in RS to rally behind the entity's institutions.

The CEC’s revocation followed the finalization of Dodik’s conviction, which stemmed from his refusal to comply with Schmidt’s blocking of two RS laws: one negating the enforcement of state Constitutional Court rulings within RS, and another altering regulations on the publication of official documents. Dodik had moved forward with legislative actions in defiance of these blocks.

Dodik’s legal team has announced intentions to appeal the decision to the Constitutional Court. Meanwhile, he publicly denounced the CEC’s ruling on social media, labeling it as more "nonsense from Sarajevo" and asserting that "surrender is not an option."

Nenad Stevandic, Speaker of the RS Assembly, dismissed the CEC’s authority to exclude Dodik from politics, stating that his influence remains intact due to the electoral backing he commands. He emphasized that Dodik’s support base is stronger than any political figure in Bosnia and Herzegovina, describing it as both a historical and current reality.

At an emergency government session, the RS authorities adopted eight conclusions, among them a formal rejection of the state court’s ruling. Political parties across the entity were urged to defend both Dodik and the institutional integrity of Republika Srpska, as tensions between the two entities deepen over the enforcement of state and international rulings.