The centre-right Bosniak party, the Alliance for the Better Future (SBB) decided to join the three nationalist parties, in forming the state level government, after the centre-left Democratic Front also agreed to join the bloc.
“This moment demands that we place the State and people's interests first, ahead of personal animosities. We choose harmony and partnership at this moment,” SBB's deputy leader Adisa Omerbegovic-Arapovic said, Thursday.
Following the October general election, Bosnia has been in a deadlock over the formation of the State level government, needed for the continuation of reforms which Bosnia urgently needs.
With the Croat Democratic Union (HDZ BiH) from the Croat side and the Alliance of Independent Social Democrats (SNSD) from the Serb side, the Party of Democratic Action (SDA) sought a solid bloc of parties who won a significant share of Bosniak votes creating their bloc.
As expected, representatives of the three major ethnic parties welcomed the SBB's decision.
The head of the Croat Caucus in the House of Peoples of one of Bosnia's two semi-autonomous entities – the Federation, Ivo Tadic said that the HDZ BIH welcomes the decision that the SBB becomes part of the State government, adding that they have always had good cooperation with this party.
The SDA's delegate at the State level House of People and high-ranking party official, Safer Softic said the party expected the SBB to join them, but that they are not too happy about this because the SBB's decision comes seven months after the election – the time which could be used for more important things.
The SNSD's deputy leader Nikola Spiric said that the SBB needs to accept the SDA's offer both for the State and Federation entity level to get out of the ‘dead-end street ‘as soon as possible.
It was useless, accusing the Serb-dominated Republika Srpska entity of anything if all it took was the formation of the SDA, SBB and DF, Spiric argued.
“In any case, we welcome their decision if it will bring us closer to forming the government,” Spiric said.
