Sefik Dzaferovic won the majority vote for the Democratic Action Party’s (SDA) candidate for Bosnian Presidency. During the SDA Convention, he won 104 votes while his opponent and party colleague Safet Softic won 87 votes.
Speaking to the press, he said it is never easy being a candidate for one of the most responsible functions in the country. He said the party will succeed and win the election because the SDA is a team and only as such can they succeed.
His opponent, Safet Softic said the party Convention showed that the SDA is a democratic party.
The SDA's candidate for the Republika Srpska entity Vice President is Ramiz Salkic, the current Vice-President of this Serb-dominated entity.
Prior to the Convention, the party’s Personnel Commission submitted the names of the potential candidates for the Presidency: Denis Zvizdic, Sefik Dzaferovic, Safet Softic and Sebija Izetbegovic. Denis Zvizdic and Sebija Izetbegovic pulled out from the run just a few days before the convention.
“Mr Zvizdic had the most nominations, but Mr Zvizdic pulled out of the race. However, he shouldn’t have pulled out. We need people who do not give up,” the SDA Leader Bakir Izetbegovic said on Saturday right after Sefik Dzaferovic was elected as the SDA candidate for Bosnian Presidency member.
When asked by N1’s Tina Jelin-Dizdar whether Dzaferovic would be able to cope with the Alliance of Independent Social Democrats’ (SNSD) Leader Milorad Dodik, as well as the Croat Democratic Union’s (HDZ BiH) Leader Dragan Covic, who are also candidates for Bosnia’s tripartite Presidency members from among the Serb and Croat people, Izetbegovic said:
“Absolutely. Mr Dzaferovic maybe doesn't have that political charisma which the Balkans’ voters prefer, but he most certainly is very capable. It is a man like him, a patient fighter, an expert and someone who knows the system all too well who will sit in the Presidency.”
He added he does not expect any new crisis in the party after the Convention.
“You’ve seen the reactions, today. There were no discussions. Zvizdic was my favourite but he did a strange thing in the end. I think he shouldn’t have done that,” Izetbegovic added.
