Milorad Dodik

Confirmation that Milorad Dodik, President of Republika Srpska and leader of the ruling Alliance of Independent Social Democrats, SNSD, is being investigated in connection with a failed bank will have an impact on the local elections due in October, experts say.

A joint investigation by the Republika Srpska Tax Administration and police has found alleged evidence implicating the US-based lobbyist, Stefan Karganovic, in possible tax evasion and embezzlement of government funds, officials have said.

Republika Srpska police estimate that the lobbyist, who is of Serbian origin, owes the entity 53,000 euros in unpaid taxes.

Bosnia's political and ethnic divisions were on display once again after the ICTY convicted former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic of genocide and crimes against humanity and jaild him for 40 years on Thursday.

Months ahead of important local elections, Milorad Dodik, President of Bosnia's Serb-dominated entity and leader of its main ruling Alliance of Independent Social Democrats, SNSD, has outraged Bosniaks [Bosnian Muslims] and Bosnian Serbs alike by naming a student dorm after the Bosnian Serb war-crimes suspect Radovan Karadzic.

Serbia and the Serb Republic (RS) will together mark the 75th anniversary of the establishment of the Independent State of Croatia (NDH) and of Jasenovac.

Beta agency reported this on Friday, saying that the announcement was made by Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic after this meeting in Belgrade with Milorad Dodik, the president of the Serb entity (RS) in Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Divergences on Bosnia's foreign policy priorities are growing between the Bosnian government and Republika Srpska, the country's Serb-dominated entity, experts say.

"Although Republika Srpska is just an entity inside Bosnia, they have different perceptions of their foreign policy goals," Sead Turcalo, a political sciences professor in Sarajevo, told BIRN on Monday.

Serb Republic (RS) Presiden Milorad Dodik has met in Banja Luka with Serbian Ambassador to Bosnia-Herzegovina Stanimir Vukicevic.

On that occasion he reiterated that the Serb entity, RS, is "committed to Bosnia's application to be granted EU candidate status."

A Bosnian NGO has filed criminal complaints against Republika Srpska President Milorad Dodik, accusing him of inciting hatred for describing Bosniaks as ‘Turks’.

"This is an important day for all us," the Croat member of Bosnia's tripartite presidency, Dragan Covic, said on Monday after presenting the application for EU membership.

Bosnia's state prosecution on Friday asked the state court, the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina, to detain Slobodan Pavlovic, the owner of Pavlovic Bank, for 30 days together with Petar Lazic, the former bank director, Ljiljana Garic, an employee in the department for credits and Blago Blagojevic, a former employee of Pavlovic's company Slobomir.