Milorad Dodik declared victory for his Serb nationalist party Sunday in Bosnia and Herzegovina's general elections, despite being barred from office himself.

Dodik, the dominant figure in the Serb-majority entity of Republika Srpska, said his Alliance of Independent Social Democrats had retained power in the entity and secured its seat on the country's tripartite presidency. Preliminary results with nearly 95 percent of ballots counted showed his ally Zeljka Cvijanovic leading with more than 55 percent of the vote for the Serb presidency seat.

The 67-year-old Dodik credited the outcome to the political shift in the United States. "If it had not been for Donald Trump's magnificent victory, we would probably be political corpses today," he told supporters in Banja Luka. He also thanked Russian President Vladimir Putin for longstanding support.

Dodik's party campaigned on greater autonomy for Republika Srpska and secessionist themes. With over 90 percent of votes counted in the entity parliament race, the SNSD appeared headed for a commanding majority. Savo Minic, the party's candidate, led the race for Republika Srpska president.

Bosnia's complex electoral system, established under the 1995 Dayton peace accords, divides power among Bosniaks, Serbs, and Croats. Nationalist parties performed strongly across ethnic lines in Sunday's vote, which featured lower turnout than previous elections.

Dodik remains barred from holding public office for six years following a conviction for defying decisions by the international envoy overseeing the peace agreement. His influence, however, continues to shape politics in Republika Srpska.

The results are expected to sustain ethnic tensions in the country amid stalled European Union accession hopes and economic challenges.