Bosniaks in Croatia to go to the polls together for the first time in 20 years

(Patria) - Bosniaks in Croatia will go to the polls together for the first time in 20 years in the next parliamentary elections and support one candidate - Armin Hodžić, it was announced yesterday at a press conference in Zagreb.

- We have never been so united, this is a patriotic front which I believe will achieve not only the representation of Bosniaks in the Parliament, but also a paradigm shift in the current relations - said Armin Hodžić, President of the Council and candidate in the 2020 elections.

Hodžić believes this is the biggest step and indicator of Bosniak unity in the past 20 years.

- This is no longer just a question of whether you are for Armin, but a referendum question - whether a Bosniak will be in the Parliament. If we do not seize this moment, Bosniaks in Croatia will disappear as a political fact and political factor - he added.

Hodžić, who will be the candidate of Bosniaks in the XII electoral unit for representatives of the Albanian, Bosniak, Montenegrin, Macedonian, and Slovenian national minorities, emphasized that he does not want to repeat the mistakes of his predecessors and will not be a representative only of Bosniaks, but also of others.

Although they are the second largest national minority in Croatia, Bosniaks have not had their representative in the Croatian Parliament since 2015, and one of the most common reasons mentioned is the excessive number of candidates in the XII electoral unit.

Kadro Kulašin, president of the Parliament of Bosniak Associations in Croatia, explained that in order to create a framework within which future moves, projects, and initiatives can be agreed upon, an initiative has been launched for the Bosniak National Council, the Bosniak National Minority Council, and the Parliament of Bosniak Associations in Croatia to launch a joint organization.

- This is not about any aspiration to establish another umbrella organization or dominance over anyone, but the fact is that the aforementioned organizations, together with the Bosniak National Community of Croatia, form the main pillars of Bosniaks in Croatia - says Kulašin.

He adds that their doors are open to the Bosniak National Community of Croatia and the Coordination of County Councils and Representatives of the Bosniak National Minority, and they expect them to join.

Bermin Meškić, president of the Bosniak National Council in Croatia and president of the future organization "Bosniaks Together", assessed that these are historic moments for Bosniaks, and the next elections will be of crucial importance.

- Bosniaks defended Croatia, we are a positive story here, and we young people have shown that we are changing the patterns of Bosniak action in Croatia - said Meškić.