Amra Babić: I will be mayor again because I listen to 40,000 people, not fulfill the wishes of just a hundred

Amra Babić was born in 1969 in Visoko. She graduated from the Faculty of Economics in Sarajevo, and after that became a Master of Economic Sciences.

She was elected mayor of Visoko in the local elections in 2012, as a candidate of SDA. She is the first female mayor in the world to wear a hijab, and because of that, she became globally popular.

She is running for a new term as mayor in the local elections in BiH on October 2nd as an independent candidate. Judging by the impressive pre-election rallies in the past month, the citizens of Visoko might give her their trust again.

Amra Babić is a single mother of three sons. Her husband, a fighter of the Army of RBiH, was killed during the defense-liberation war in BiH. In an interview for Patria, she talks about what she plans to do with Visoko in the next four years.

PATRIA: Judging by the impressive pre-election rallies, as well as the results of conducted polls, it can already be considered that you will be at the head of the municipality of Visoko for the next four years. The candidate for mayor from SDA, who is your biggest opponent, has not yet shown anything that could seriously turn the tide of the campaign, which is clearly going in your favor?

BABIĆ: I would not jump to premature conclusions about victory in the October elections; every campaign is unique, and every electoral cycle is a story in itself. The support I currently have exceeds all my expectations, even the logic of my preparation for this campaign. I did not expect such strong support from members of other political parties; it is no secret that these include SBB and SDA. I did not expect so much trust from the citizens, nor the number of attendees at the mentioned rallies. You know, pre-election rallies are somewhat boring and burdensome for our citizens, and I understand people. These are local elections, and every family has at least a few people who expect their trust and support; one is a relative, another a neighbor, a colleague from work, etc. However, judging by the support I have, citizens have truly accepted my work and results and feel most secure in a scenario where I continue my work for the next four years.

Thousands of Amra Babić's supporters at a rally in the Cultural and Sports Center in Visoko

As I said, this campaign is going beyond the planned course of preparation, and this particularly applies to Mr. Halim Zukić, from whom I expected at least ten times more in this campaign. Considering the party's support, acquaintances, and resources at his disposal, I expected him to prepare a very fierce and difficult-to-defend rhetoric and campaign. However, Mr. Zukić, in short, offers two years of mandate, the construction of two private buildings owned by him, both on waqf property with unresolved property relations, and a supposed concern for pensioners and socially vulnerable categories. Citizens, I know for sure, do not believe this story and are still looking with disbelief at the SDA campaign, searching for something that would at least resemble a rally. There is simply nothing of the sort. I am sure that my Visoko has the strength and courage to choose. Everyone plays to win, so I expect victory.

PATRIA: In the last elections, you won the mayoral position as an SDA candidate. This year, you are an independent candidate. Is that your advantage on October 2nd, or is the party indeed a tailwind that benefits every candidate?

BABIĆ: Very rarely in life can you speak of something as exclusively a positive thing or circumstance. For example, if you do a job that is very responsible and in which you have significant resources, then you don't have much free time. If you do a simple job that is not associated with responsibility, your salary is certainly lower, and you won't have the satisfaction of achieved results.

It is the same with the question of party support. If you have the support of a large political party, then you have the infrastructure of sure voters, media that will support you, contacts of people who will help you in the campaign, things go more smoothly.

However, on the other hand, you are limited by political agreements coming from Sarajevo, so, for example, from the case of Visoko, for several years as a member of SBB, you criticized SDA, and now you have to go to elections together.

I enjoy that kind of freedom, although as a person, I am always committed to cooperation with parties and joint work for the benefit of Visoko. The slogan "Together, let's finish what we started" is an invitation to both SDA and SBB, to any option that wants to work for the benefit of Visoko and in an understanding where we cannot fulfill the wishes of one person or a few people. They say Amra Babić cannot be mayor because she did not listen to a hundred people. I say Amra Babić will be mayor because she listens to 40,000 people. I feel free and independent, and I personally consider this campaign better than my previous one with SDA.

PATRIA: We know you don't like to dwell on the past, but it's strange that SDA gave you up so easily. You are a world-renowned mayor. You are the only mayor in the history of BiH, and the Balkans, about whom all world media, such as the BBC, CNN, The New York Times, and many others, wrote in a single day. They presented you as the first mayor with a hijab, a true European Muslim woman promoting tolerance, progress, coexistence... By doing so, you have done more for Bosniaks in BiH than any other political party. Did the SDA leadership, and even President Bakir Izetbegović himself, try to keep you in SDA in any way? You were their best advertisement after all.

BABIĆ: If they had tried to keep me, perhaps I would have stayed. But under conditions that I would have personally set. Obviously, they did not consider me obedient enough, or perhaps they underestimated me.

PATRIA: In the past four years, with your team, you managed to cover the budget deficit you found. More precisely, you increased the budget of the municipality of Visoko by slightly more than 30 percent over four years. You increased the number of registered companies in Visoko by 32.06 percent, and the number of registered crafts by slightly more than 19 percent. Can Visoko join the most developed municipalities in BiH, such as Tešanj and Goražde, in the next four years? In which direction will you lead your community in the next four years?

BABIĆ: The model of developing the most developed municipalities in Bosnia and Herzegovina is the basis of my work; joint work is what makes the municipalities of Goražde and Tešanj so mysteriously unique. It is evident that the municipalities that achieve progress are those that have opened their doors, used donor funds and funds from various sources, and had leadership that managed responsibly and dedicatedly, treating the Municipality's property as common property, the most valuable and significant for all citizens.

Regarding the approach to entrepreneurs, which is always cited as a specificity of Tešanj, that is also something that characterizes Visoko. I have not ignored a single call from entrepreneurs, the possibility of simplifying procedures, or helping entrepreneurs, and this has been recognized through investments in Visoko and the opening of new jobs.

The number of unemployed people in Visoko has decreased by about 10 percent in these four years, and although this is not solely my achievement, I am proud of the fact that significant progress has been made in this area. The direction in which I am working is clear to everyone: transparent and efficient operation of the Municipality and public institutions, openness to domestic entrepreneurs and their initiatives, readiness to assist investors, and an overall atmosphere conducive to development and growth.

Independent candidates are the avant-garde and are growing into a movement

PATRIA: The victory of Fuad Kasumović as mayor of Zenica is expected. Kasumović is one of the greatest BiH economic experts. Many believe that Zenica, under his leadership, could experience an economic boom. Zenica borders the municipality of Kakanj, which, under the leadership of Nermin Mandra, has also experienced economic expansion in recent years. If we go further up the Bosna River, after Kakanj comes Visoko, and then Ilijaš, where the victory of independent candidate Enes Durak is also expected. Can we expect a belt from Zenica to Ilijaš in the next four years, which will be the biggest construction site in BiH?

BABIĆ: I would not speculate about campaigns, candidates, and possible solutions for the municipalities around Visoko. There has been so much work and obligations in this campaign, parallel to performing the duties of the mayor of Visoko municipality, that I don't even know what the course of the campaigns in Zenica, Breza, and Ilijaš was. Someone might ask about the causes and consequences of policies where party candidates nevertheless choose an independent campaign, but honestly, that is neither my job nor my particular area of expertise. I deal with the executive part, managing the Municipality which I found in a rather confused state, which today is not nearly as complex and difficult. What would be extremely important at this moment is to maintain the trend and continue the growth, from which Visoko could emerge in the next few years as a truly refreshed, modernized town.

When I review the projects and activities we have carried out in the past four years, it feels like I have been here for ten years.

I do not want to glorify the successes of my team, but many tell me that the results of my four years of work are more visible than the eight years of the mandate of the former mayor, Mr. Munib Alibegović. That is a somewhat exaggerated comparison, but many things unrelated to my engagement coincided, such as the solution for the VEME issue and the construction of the Suša shopping center, which brought refreshment to Visoko. I hope that the harsh words and insults expressed during this campaign, especially towards me, will soon become a thing of the past.

Independent candidates are a reality, the avant-garde, and are growing into a movement and an alternative to what has already been seen. If I were in the position of leaders of large parties, I would be worried.