Bosnian Serb Entity Ponders Reshuffle

The President of Republika Srpska, Milorad Dodik, said on Monday, after a meeting of his Alliance of Independent Social Demcorats, SNSD, that the party was discussing the future of the Serb-led entity's government.

Dodik said he could not rule out a reshuffle in the future, and he conceded that the government needed “a new impulse".

But his deputy in the SNSD, Igor Radojicic, said it was not the party that had “opened up the story of a government reshuffle... the issue was rolled out thanks to the media rather than the SNSD".

Media reports in the Republika Srpska have repeatedly predicted a government reshuffle or even a no-confidence vote in the past week, noting as possible reasons the poor economic situation and the falling ratings of the ruling SNSD and of Dodik.

Media have also reported that the Prime Minister Aleksandar Dzombic could leave the government and be replaced by the Regional Cooperation Minister, Zeljka Cvijanovic.

The head of the Socialist Party, the SNSD's coalition partner in the entity, Petar Djokic, said that “consultations on the issue [of the reshuffle]” had taken place, but the outcome will only become clear in the coming days.

The head of the Democratic People's Alliance, DNS, another partner in the ruling coalition, Marko Pavic, said a reshuffle will take place only if the SNSD so decides.

"The government needs fresh blood, but the capacity for a change lies with the SNSD only, given their number [of seats] in the National Assembly,” he said.

The SNSD holds 37 of the 83 seats in the entity assembly, which with with DNS's six and the four Socialists make up a majority.

The assembly elected the entity's government in December 2010 following general elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina on October 3 that year.

The SNSD holds 12 positions in the government of the entity, the two coalition partners, the DNS and SP, have two ministries each and one minister is from the Croatian Democratic Union, HDZ BiH.