Despite going to elections together, growing conflicts within the "Trojka": How NIP mutated, who Mandić will send to political ruin

By Amra Vrabac

Incidents, curses, calls for fights, tensions, and the suspension of sessions marked the last two sessions of the Centar Municipal Council. The relationship between People and Justice and Our Party in that council has been strained for months, and it continued even after the referendum on the recall of Srđan Mandić, initiated by the NIP councilor club with several other councilors, was not implemented.

However, things have, as is becoming increasingly clear, begun to escalate.

Numerous claims, accusations, and promises from both sides to see each other in October were made during the sessions held this week.

At the beginning of this week, the president of People and Justice, Elmedin Konaković, told TVSA that the presidencies of all three parties of the "Trojka" (NIP, SDP, Our Party) had decided to run with joint candidates in most cities and municipalities, but with separate lists.

He specified that there is no common stance regarding the municipalities of Centar and Novo Sarajevo.

"Discussions are underway about whose right it will be to propose a candidate," Konaković said.

Then followed the sessions of the Centar Municipal Council, and the tension between Srđan Mandić, NIP, and the councilors of Our Party can no longer be hidden. At the first of the two sessions held this week, the report of the commission for the recall of the mayor was considered, which opened a discussion among the councilors. Thus, NIP councilor Jasmin Ademović revealed that Mandić had sued the Municipal Council in court over the voted recall and that the court was laughing at him because they had used the legal option and voted for the recall.

He then asked if Mandić would be brave enough to run in the elections in October.

Mayor Mandić also addressed the issue, stating that he was "sorry that they are upset and frustrated because they failed."

"See you in October. I will have a sweet treat to send you to political ruin," Mandić said.

The President of the Centar Municipal Council, Sejad Đozo, listed all the insults Mandić had made about the councilors on social media.

"It is clear that in 2020 we were not mutated; we were good then, and in the meantime, we have become genetically mutated, dishonorable, and dishonest," Đozo said.

Although that report was adopted, new drama ensued the very next day, and the president, Đozo, suspended the session. He claimed that Mandić had cursed his mother, while Mandić denied cursing in a statement to the media.

Although the "Trojka" parties are trying to maintain the illusion that this concept is working, even extending it to higher levels, the relationships in the municipal councils show that it is far from idyllic and sincere. The situation is not ideal in the KS Government either, where these three parties form the government with Damir Marjanović's ZNG and several other councilors. The greatest responsibility here lies with NIP, whose president chose Marjanović as a partner instead of the Party for BiH.

For now, there is an agreement within the "Trojka" that Nermin Muzur (Ilidža) and Irfan Čengić (SDP BiH) will be joint candidates.

There is a general agreement that each party will have two candidates in Sarajevo municipalities. This leaves the municipalities of Novo Sarajevo, Centar, Novi Grad, Vogošća, Ilijaš, Trnovo, and Hadžići, for which they need to agree on who will propose a candidate to be jointly supported. It is no secret that NIP is interested in Novo Sarajevo, as is Our Party.

There are just over six months left until the elections, and problems are escalating and coming to the surface. Each of these parties also has internal problems and turmoil, evident in SDP, particularly in Novi Grad and Novo Sarajevo and the SDP Canton Committee, as well as in Our Party, where Mandić has the support of the Centar Municipal Board of NS but not the support of the party leadership or president Edin Forto for a new term.