Bakir Izetbegović, the former deputy president of the Party of Democratic Action, was elected as the Party’s new president at the Congress held today. He won 590 votes, while his runner-up was Šemsudin Mehmedović who won 159 votes. Irfan Ajanović was third, with four votes.
With today’s election, Bakir Izetbegović has become the third president of the Party of Democratic Action since its founding in May 26th, 1990. The first president of the SDA was Alija Izetbegović. Bakir Izetbegović is to remain at the head of the Party until October 2019.
Addressing the delegates after the election, he said he will endeavor to fulfill all that was adopted and promised at the Congress.
Besides the President, today the delegates will elect a Deputy President of the Party of Democratic Action and eight Vice-Presidents.
Previously proposed for the position of the Deputy President of the Party are Adil Osmanović and Mihnet Okić, and for Vice-Presidents: Asim Sarajlić, Šefik Džaferović, Denis Zvizdić, Sadik Ahmetović, Ramiz Salkić, Safet Softić, Šemsudin Dedić, Mirsad Kukić, Melika Mahmutbegović, Salko Sokolović, Husejin Smajlović, Edin Mušić, Sejad Delić, Halid Genjac, Senad Bratić, Nermin Mandra, Edin Ramić, Senad Šepić, Alija Budnjo and Semir Efendić.
In October 2001, the 3rd Congress of the Party of Democratic Action was held in Sarajevo. Then Alija Izetbegović retired from the position of the active president of the Party of Democratic Action and was declared the lifelong Honorary President. Sulejman Tihić was elected as the new President of the Party, and was re-elected to this position in 2005.
At the 5th Congress of the Party of Democratic Action held on May 26th 2009, Bakir Izetbegović and Adnan Terzić were counter candidates to Sulejman Tihić. Tihić won by gaining 425 votes, while Izetbegović gained 301 votes.
The Congress of the Party of Demcoratic Action was to be held in 2014, but the party leadership decided to hold a convention in early 2013 in order to avoid the divisions within the Party between the supporters of the President Sulejman Tihić and Bakir Izetbegović.
At the Convention, which was held in February 2013, it was agreed that Tihić remains the President of the Party under the condition that he does not run for the president at the congress which was to be held no later than May 26th 2015. Bakir Izetbegović took the position of the Deputy President of the Party of Democratic Action, and after the death of Tihić, he consequently became the leader of the Party.
(Source: klix.ba/ photo bljesak)
