All for 42 votes: Both blocs offer half a million KM each to two MPs in the NSRS!?

In the Republic of Srpska, judging by the statements continuously made by Milorad Dodik, the leader of the SNSD, he and his coalition partners have 42 out of a total of 83 MPs, thus securing a narrow parliamentary majority for forming the government in the smaller BiH entity, writes the BiH news agency Patria.

Dodik assures the public that the Republic of Srpska should get a new convocation of the parliament by November 26, and a new government by the end of the year at the latest.

According to Patria's information, the SNSD leader expects that the constitutive session of the NSRS could be held as early as next week, during which he, as the President of the RS, and all MPs would take the oath.

At this session, a new parliamentary leadership may or may not be elected.

Furthermore, the SNSD leader plans to immediately start consultations with all parties regarding the nomination of a mandate-holder for the Prime Minister of the RS. Most likely, if the scenario unfolds according to his plans, he will propose the current Prime Minister and his closest associate, Željka Cvijanović, as the mandate-holder.

However, Dodik's majority is on the very edge. Besides his MPs, and those of the DNS and SP, there is also the mandate of the leader of the Party of Progressive Srpska, Adam Šukalo (a party formed at the end of 2011), and one mandate from the SRS, which have joined the coalition with the DNS.

These two mandates, which tip the balance in Dodik's favor, because without them he has 40 mandates, are still uncertain, as the Alliance for Change is also negotiating with the MPs from the SNS and SRS.

In the narrow majority of 42 MPs that Dodik is waving, there are no five MPs from the "Homeland" Coalition.

The Alliance for Change has a total of 36 MPs, also without the five MPs from the "Homeland" Coalition, which, if they were to join them, would give them a total of 41 mandates. The race in the RS is becoming increasingly fierce, and the highest price on the market is currently held by the MPs from the NS and SRS, who, according to unconfirmed information from political backrooms, are being offered half a million KM each for their votes from both sides.