Voters are going to the polls in the Bosnian Serb Republic to elect a successor to President Milan Jelic, who died of a heart attack in September.

There are 10 candidates, all of whom oppose any weakening of the republic's high degree of autonomy within Bosnia.

EU officials have made it clear central institutions will have to be strengthened before Bosnia can be considered for entry.

The poll comes five days after Bosnia's first step to EU membership.

On 4 December, it initialed a pre-membership agreement at a ceremony in Sarajevo, following a deal to merge the country's ethnically divided police force.

Analysts say the ruling party's Rajko Kuzmanovic, 76, has the best chance of winning the election.

He has the support of Prime Minister Milorad Dodik, the most powerful man in the entity.

The role of Bosnian Serb president is mostly ceremonial but includes the power to appoint or dismiss the prime minister with parliamentary support.

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Milan Jelic