Bosnia and Herzegovina’s (BiH) main Croatian party, the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZBiH) elected its president Dragan Covic as the candidate for member of BiH tripartite presidency at upcoming general election on Friday in Vitez, a city some 75 kilometers northwest of capital.
At the party meeting, Board members discussed basic guidelines, program and messages of HDZ BiH, and preparations for the general elections, after which the Board proposed Covic unanimously, HDZBiH website said.
The incumbent member of BiH Presidency addressed the reporters on Friday saying that he will “deal primarily to position Croatian people as constituent and for HDZ BiH to remain a force that can lead BiH on its European path.” He expressed hope that BiH will take the EU membership next year.
Covic said he expects HDZBiH to ensure legitimate representatives at all levels of government and to win elections more convincing than last time.
Dragan Covic, 62, was elected for a member of the BiH Presidency in 2002, but he was dismissed by the former High Representative Paddy Ashdown in March 2005 after the BiH Court confirmed an indictment against Covic for misuse of position. Covic has become the incumbent member of BiH Presidency in 2014 by winning 128,053 votes in the elections.
Active for 20 years in politics, Covic will run as a Croatian candidate for member of BiH tripartite presidency, which represents the three major ethnic groups of Bosniaks, Serbs and Croats.
BiH will hold its general election on Oct. 7, 2018, the Central Election Commission (CIK) announced earlier this month.
Sarajevo Times
