Milorad Dodik
President of the Republic of Srpska
Milorad Dodik, President of the Republic of Srpska
Milorad Dodik was born on March 12, 1959 in Banja Luka.
He completed his primary education in Laktaši, and finished secondary school in Banja Luka. He graduated from the Faculty of Political Sciences of the University of Belgrade.
Between 1986 and 1990, as the youngest official of the SFRY at the time, he performed most successfully a number of important official functions in the Municipality of Laktaši, including the Municipal Executive Board president’s office.
At the first multiparty elections in BiH in 1990, he was elected to the Parliament of BiH as a candidate of the Reform Forces’ Alliance. Due to the disputes he had with the governing structure in the People’s Assembly of the Republic of Srpska at the time, he established the Club of Independent Parliamentary Representatives, which served as the foundation for the establishment of the Independent Social Democrats’ Alliance in 1996, which he has presided over since its establishment in 1996.
He was re-elected for a representative in the People’s Assembly of the Republic of Srpska in 1997, whereas he was elected for the President of the Republic of Srpska Government in the following year. He serves to this position until January 2001.
He was re-elected for the people’s representative of the Independent Social Democrats’ Alliance (SNSD) in 2002, and performed that duty until February 2006, when, for the second time, he took over the office of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Srpska. In December 2006, following a decisive victory of the party he led at the general elections in BiH, he became the Prime Minister of the Republic of Srpska Government for the third time.
He performed the duty of the Prime Minister until October 2010, when he received a decisive support and trust of the voters, and was elected for the President of the Republic of Srpska. The solemn inauguration of the newly elected President of the Republic of Srpska was held on November 15, 2010.
Pursuant to winning the general elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina on October 12, 2014, for the first time in the history of the Republic of Srpska, he was elected the President of the Republic of Srpska for the second time.
At the general elections in BiH in 2018 he was elected to perform a duty of the Serb member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
After winning the general elections in 2022, he was elected President of the Republic of Srpska for the third time.
Milorad Dodik was decorated with a number of recognitions and medals, of which the most significant ones are the Order of Nemanjić, the Order of the Republic of Srpska with the Sash, the Order of Peter the Great with the Sash – awarded by the National Committee for Social Awards of the Russian Federation for extraordinary contribution to the enhancement of the Russian-Serbian cooperation.
The President of Serbia Aleksandar Vučić awarded Milorad Dodik with the highest recognition of the Republic of Serbia, the Order of the Republic of Serbia on a large necklace for special merits for the Serbian state and people.
The Serbian Orthodox Church decorated him with the Order of St. Sava (First Class), and the Patriarch of Jerusalem awarded him the Holy Cross of the Holy Sepulcher Guardians.
During his visit to Romania, he was presented with the Order of the Eparchy of Timisoara for his contribution to the preservation of Serbian interests and ties.
He is a citizen of honor in a number of cities in the Republic of Srpska. Milorad Dodik has provided significant contribution to the sports for many years. For over ten years he has been the President of the Basketball Club „Igokea“ and was one of its co-founders. The Basketball Club „Partizan“ from Belgrade awarded him the title of its honorary president.
He is married, and a father of two children. He has seven grandchildren.