Former high-ranking official and one of the founders of the Democratic Action Party (SDA) and the former Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBiH) entity Prime Minister Edhem Bicakcic spoke to N1 about the SDA, saying that the current party is not the party from when he was a member.

“Today’s SDA is a completely different party. It transformed between 2003 and 2010. The SDA should return to its founding principles because today’s party is unrecognisable compared to the party principles from 1990 (when the party was first founded),” Bicakcic said.

He claims to have maintained good relations with all the SDA members and that he meets other Party founders on various events exchanging opinions, advice and objections to various topics. During the life of the first Party Leader and the first President of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina Alija Izetbegovic, the party made consultations with a wide range of party members when making decisions, even with some ideological opponents in the party. This, he said, is not the case today.

Bicakcic was asked to comment on his cooperation with the Croat Democratic Union’s (HDZ BiH) Leader Dragan Covic during his time in politics saying he had a very good cooperation with Covic.

“We made many important laws for the FBiH. I’m still in very good relations with Covic, although I see some changes in his attitude, compared to when we worked together. I don’t know if that’s the result of Croatia’s influence,” Bicakcic added.

Comparing Bosnia from 2003 to Bosnia today, he told N1 the country did make progress. A double-digit growth-rate was not possible due to the recession and local weaknesses but Bosnia has a good chance for further progress and development.

“We have to double our pace in order to catch up with the rest of the world which will not wait for anyone,” Bicakcic concluded.