SARAJEVO, Oct 19, (Xinhua): The parliament of Bosnia and Herzegovina's (BiH) Republika Srpska on Saturday appointed Ana Trisic Babic as interim president, officially marking the departure of former president Milorad Dodik following a state court decision banning him from political activity. Trisic Babic will serve as acting president for one month until new elections are held on Nov 23, according to the parliament's decision.

In response, Dodik said that the Republika Srpska's political course would remain unchanged, reiterating that secession remained his ultimate goal. The Appellate Division of the Court of BiH in August dismissed Dodik's appeal against the Central Election Commission's decision to revoke his mandate as president of Republika Srpska and to call early elections for the entity's presidency in the coming months.

BiH consists of two autonomous entities -- Republika Srpska, with a predominantly Serbian population; and the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, mainly inhabited by Bosniaks and Croats. The two entities operate under a weak central government