Bosniaks Refuse Ministry Post in Republika Srpska

Source: 
Balkan Insight
Publication date: 
Mar 11 2013

The Party of Democratic Action, SDA, the leading Bosniak party which was offered one ministerial seat in the Republika Srpska government, said on Sunday it would not become part of the new administration because its nomination, Dzevad Mahmutovic, was not accepted as a candidate for the post.

“Refusing his candidature is an offence to all patriots, especially returnees to Republika Srpska,” the SDA said.

The ruling Alliance of Independent Social Democrats, SNSD, said that the SDA could still get into the government if it proposes a new candidate.

The changes in the government of Republika Srpska, one of two political entities in Bosnia, came after Prime Minister Aleksandar Dzombic resigned on February 28.

The ruling SNSD has announced that new premier Zeljka Cvijanovic will name six new ministers to government posts which the party holds.

The SNSD’s coalition partners have said however that they will not propose new candidates but leave their old ministers in place.

Meanwhile the Serb Democratic Party, SDS, which is opposition to the SNSD, said it would not support Cvijanovic’s new government.

“Maybe the only solution, so that [Republika Srpska] does not live through further agony in this year and a half until the new elections, is to form a government of national unity,” said Ognjen Tadic of the SDS.

“Unfortunately, we have party, not national, politics here,” he said.

The SDS’s stance is likely not to affect the new government’s formation as the SNSD and its political partners have a majority in parliament.

 

Elvira M. Jukic

http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/article/bosniaks-refuse-bosnia-serb-entity-minister-position